Things Change
by sohelpmegod
Summary: After the Cullens left her high and dry, Bella had a rough go of it. But now that she is finally stable and her life is vampire-free, she's doing okay. She should've known it wouldn't last.
1. Surprise!

**This is my first fic! I've been reading for a very long time and wanted to take a shot at writing, so here it is! I hope if anyone comes across this y'all like it, and just a quick reminder this will be a Jasper and Bella pairing fic. **

**Here goes nothing!**

**...**

Chapter One

_**Surprise!**_

_Bella:_

I looked around, taking note of the unusually empty corner tables. The bar was usually much busier, even on a Thursday night, but I guess everyone just had people to see and places to be. It didn't bother me much, as only the tables on the very fringe remained empty, saving me from the torture of a slow night, and I still saw plenty of my favorite regulars waving at me from their seats. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Isaac motioning for me to come over, so I quickly wove through the crowd to reach the bar. I arrived to Isaac finishing up what looked like a Jack and Coke, and I placed my hands on the worn walnut bartop, waiting for whatever message he needed to convey. His bright green eyes shot me a playful look at the same time his mouth turned up into a telltale half-smirk, and his head bobbed to the left towards a group of five blonde girls with 'Delta Delta Delta!' plastered on the front of their very, very tight neon shirts. Three of them had their mouths glued to their companion's ears, but the two in the very front had their eyes dead set on Isaac, meanwhile, he continued looking dutifully oblivious while pouring out a generous shot of patron for a gentleman seated across the bar to his right. However, the girls were not deterred, and one of the girls in the front with blue eyeshadow that matched the blinding hue of her v-neck decided to take a more… direct approach, leaning against the bar with her hands on her cheeks, using the mass of her arms to make the deep cut of her shirt reveal far more than it was designed to. I mean, I had to admire her tenacity: It takes guts to be that bold before Isaac lays any shots on the counter. They all started waving, perfectly in synch, as if they had a hive mind connecting them, and honestly, it was rather creepy. Maybe it's the loner ingrained in me, but sorority girls seem like a completely separate species. How can someone be so peppy? Most of them are pretty nice though, so that's something. I roughly snapped out of my train of thought as I heard a familiar deep voice yell my name.

A caramel hand waved in front of my eyes, "Hey Isa! I could really use your help hot stuff." Isaac said, gesturing towards the pack of blondes.

"Sorry Ike, I was distracted by your group of adoring fans. As much as I understand the hesitance, you do know those Girls Gone Wild extras are in fact paying customers, right?"

As I rounded the corner of the bar to stand beside him, he laughed, "Oh shut up, it's not my fault I'm such a babe, I can't help it, it just seeps out of my pores." I rolled my eyes and began walking towards the waving neon pack, quickly committing their faces to memory. That was one of my best survival techniques, I never forget a face, and I make a point of analyzing everyone I come into contact with.

Upon closer inspection, the girl with the neon blue shirt and matching eye shadow seemed to be the leader. Her big, round eyes were a startling baby blue, framed by an impressive set of lashes that seemed to give her an air of innocence. I knew from experience that impression could be way off, but something about her ashy blonde hair pulled into high pigtails and her open body language told me this was probably not one of those times. However, her mascara seemed smudged around the edges of her eyes and the other girls of the group seemed to be forming a protective barrier around her. Interesting. A girl with almond-shaped brown eyes to her left placed her arm on Blue Girl's arm and combed her own dishwater blonde hair off of her neon green 'Delta!' shirt, clearly trying to put the 'goods' on display. Internally I sighed, some girls really need to remember their tan lines, because that shirt hit a touch too low and showed the contrast of her browned collarbones with the pale flesh of her upper breast. Her upturned nose was turned towards the three girls in the back, still deep in a whispered conversation. Their identical hot pink shirts and bleach blonde hair made it difficult to discern their individual features, but the differences in their face shape were good enough for me.

Once I reached their side of the bar, realization seemed to set in that they weren't getting the hot raven-haired bartender, but instead his sidekick, and they all looked rather disappointed. I clapped my hands to get their attention, "Alright ladies, what're you drinking?"

The girl in the blue spoke up, "Can I have like, a cosmo? Is that like, okay?"

I glanced around at her companions, who were shooting her looks of pity behind her back. The girl in green chimed in, "Of course a cosmo is totally okay Ashley! But we are here to like, cheer you up! So let's like, do some shots instead!"

Ashley turned to the girl in the green and steeled her features in determination. "Emma, you're right! Brittany, Carly, Rachel," she looked towards the girls clad in neon pink, "we are gonna like, kick me out of this funk tonight! I can do so much better than Brad anyway!" She finished with a pageant worthy smile and was met with the enthusiastic cheers of her group.

I laughed. "Who needs men anyway ladies, I say you kick em all to the curb! One Fireball each then?" They all nodded enthusiastically and passed the order along to a very grumpy Ike, who had clearly wanted me to take care of them from start to finish. Tough luck, I have work to do. I looked out across the seating area and busied myself picking up the slack from the other waiters. I grabbed and made drinks, delivered food, and saw to the bills until I realized Farah was not at the host's table as usual and a line was beginning to form. I switched gears and sat a couple groups until I heard a familiar exhale behind me.

I heard a smoky voice say, "God Iz, you're a lifesaver. Without you here picking up the slack this fine establishment would surely burn to the ground."

I looked up at Farah's tall frame and saw her full lips were brushed with a red lipstick that contrasted perfectly with her skin. "You know Larry's is like home to me Farah, you don't need to thank me at all," I replied, cursing myself for the display of vulnerability. Her warm brown eyes softened.

"I know Iz, but seriously, you are one of the best waitresses I ever hired. It was a risk hiring you, but I could see the kindness in your heart then as clearly as I can see it now." She placed her hands on the curve of her hips.

I coughed and grew uncomfortable. Even though Farah was probably the person who knew me best, that really wasn't saying much. It was better for everyone if I kept to myself, and we were very rapidly approaching a level of conversation that would make that impossible. "Whatever you say, Farah. I'm going to go help Stephanie, table four needs more waters."

Farah sighed. "Alright Iz, but just so you know, I might need your wonderful assistance in hiding a body tonight."

I laughed, Farah was gorgeous, with a tall curvy frame, and legs that went on for days, so naturally, she often received some comments. "Unwanted suitors again?"

She let out a dramatic sigh, "Yes. I may not get as many as you, but since I've started wearing my natural hair again I've gotten more 'exotic' comments. I swear to god if another middle-aged white man asks me to be his Nubian princess I'm going to jail."

I snorted, "Like I would let that happen. I'd set you up so you could go on the run, I've got connections."

I meant it as a joke but Farah looked thoughtful. "I bet you do Iz... I bet you do," she murmured. I realized I had said too much, even if it was a joke, and let out a forced laugh as I waved and went back to help out. I was right, Stephanie had needed waters, and I went to the kitchen to grab them. As I exited the kitchen, I carried the tray of eight waters towards a grateful looking Stephanie. Then all the warmth went out of the room.

My world narrowed to a pinprick. My heart began hammering in my chest and my thoughts were going a mile a minute. It was like someone sucked the air out of my lungs, and I was left gasping for breath. This wasn't my usual panic attack, and that only caused me to panic more. I didn't have any idea what could cause such a reaction except… No. I felt like I had just been doused in ice water as I scanned the restaurant. I tried to stop my mind from jumping to that conclusion but when I looked up I saw a group of three individuals with skin so pale it was almost glowing ethereally by the door. Farah smiled at them and grabbed them each a menu, and the hairs on my neck stood up. My brain completely shut down, and belatedly, I noticed they were all wearing sunglasses. My brain was clouded by shock but my instincts told me all I needed to know: those were vampires. They were here, in my bar, probably to kill me.

The room was spinning so fast I momentarily lost my grip of the tray, causing all the water glasses to shatter on the floor, and all the attention in the room to land on me. I couldn't hear anything, I could feel Stephanie cleaning the mess up at my feet and I could kind of see it in my periphery, but mostly my eyes were trained on the vampires at the door. Excellent, they all were looking dead at me. My brain finally kicked into gear and I ran. I just sprinted out of the back door at the end of the hall, my critical thinking being pushed away by mind-numbing fear. How the fuck did they find me? My legs kept moving as I frantically put thoughts of Ike and Farah being torn apart piece by piece by a blur of red hair out of my mind, but I couldn't. This was all my fault. I was gasping for air when I finally reached it. It was my "special spot". At the end of this alley, nearly three blocks away from the bar, there was a picnic table. My strength was wavering, so I sat down on the weathered picnic bench and stared up at the moon above me. I could smell the dew on the grass and the blooming lavender I planted last year and thought to myself that honestly, this wouldn't be the worst place to die. I heard one set of footsteps on the gravel behind me and I prayed to some divine entity that after I died, everyone would still be alright.

I held my head in my hands and sighed out, "Do you think in exchange for the years of simmering torture you could make it quick? You can desecrate my corpse all you want, just snap my neck or something first."

I heard a howl of laughter. I still hadn't turned to face the vampire in the alley behind me, but I could hear it gasping for unneeded breath. In response, I just muttered, "I guess that's a wash."

The vampire laughed harder briefly, before apparently realizing the gravity of the situation and composing himself. "That's quite a mouth you've got on ya Little Bird. Bravest shit I've heard in a long time, that's for sure. You definitely gave old Petey a good laugh, but rest assured, I ain't gone do nothin' to hurt ya."

I laughed, but it sounded forced. "So what are you going to do, leave me alone? See, I know you're not about to do that, seeing as it's against the Big Bad Vamp code, so are you and your sidekicks just gonna keep me around for shits and giggles until I get boring and my fragile body is all worn out, or just kill me?"

I turned around just in time to watch his handsome face go from smiling to concerned and vaguely offended. He sat there for a minute, giving me a once over, and I admired his features. He had sandy blonde hair and a slim build, and was, like all vamps, ridiculously handsome, but that wasn't what my eyes latched on to. They were stuck on his red eyes, a color so deep and so vibrant it almost looked backlit in the moonlight. His handsome features were obscured by the deep frown that marred his face, so I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow to indicate that I would in fact, like more of a response. Is there a gene in the venom that makes vamps allergic to giving humans literally any information? All my experience said yes.

"Well Sugar Plum, I don't reckon I know, but lemme tell ya a couple of things. First, I ain't got sidekicks. All I got is my brother and my lovely wife, so get that straight before Petey has to deal with some very pissed off companions, particularly the missus. Second, unless you're secretly a criminal or a druggie, you're not on the menu, and I ain't no sadist so don't mention whatever your idea of 'play' is again. My knower is tellin' me to keep ya close and protect ya, so that's the plan right now. Are ya doin' alright? Are ya fine if I call on over the family?"

I kept quiet about the criminal part for now and replied, "I'm just peachy. Nothing gets me in a good mood like being held hostage by a stranger and his friends that could kill me at any second," He just laughed and shrugged. "To be fair though, given my history this could've gone a lot worse, so I guess I should be at least a little bit grateful you aren't gonna torture me and leave me for dead."

His features relaxed back into an easy smirk, and he laughed. "That's a pretty low bar, but you know what? I'll take it. For the record, you seem like your goin' to be pretty good company, especially if ya keep saying sweet things like that."

I reluctantly smiled at him and leaned back against the table. Petey, or whatever his name is, didn't seem half bad as far as vampire captors go. Although, I probably should wait to say that until after I meet his vampire "family", seeing as I've kind of had some rotten luck with those in the past. I was pulled from my thoughts as I saw two shadows approaching from the mouth of the alley.

"Thank y'all for using human speed, Little Bird here seems a little skittish," Petey said, nodding towards the figures.

A melodic high pitched voice chides, "Peter I thought we said no nicknames. Ya know ya can't get attached. What if we have to get rid of her?"

Peter cast a glare towards the silhouette. "Damn it, Char, I said she's skittish. No jokes, I mean it, Little Bird has clearly been through some rough shit. Don't worry sweet thing, Char is just jokin' I promise."

As they neared the garden, a familiar deep voice chuckled "Look at you Pete, gettin' all protective. She's a human, and you've known her for five seconds."

As they rounded the final corner and stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight, the melodic voice that apparently belonged to Char softly said, "Sugar Plum, please excuse my manners, I didn't mean to frighten you. And please excuse my husband, he seems to have skipped right past the introductions and into the pet names. What's your name?"

As their features finally came into view, my eyes widened to the size of saucers before I briefly schooled my features back to indifference.

"Her name is Bella."


	2. She's All Grown Up

**Hello to anyone that's reading this! **

**First off thanks for taking the time to, and second of all, I'd like to apologize for the two or three errors present in the last chapter. I reread it and it made me cringe, so I promise I will review them more carefully from now on. **

**Secondly, this is the first narrative work/fanfic I have ever written, so I'm sorry if it seems a little choppy at parts, I'm still learning. **

**That's all! Thanks for taking the time to read and review, I didn't actually think anyone would read this and I'm really surprised (and happy!) to see the reviews and follows. **

**Now back to the story:**

Chapter Two

_**She's All Grown Up**_

_Jasper:_

I don't know what we're doing here. Hanging with Peter is a lot like being blindfolded on a rollercoaster at all times, but this was even more out of the blue than usual. But of course, I was along for the ride. If the crazy man decided to go to Southern Cal, who was I to object, it's not like I had anything else to do. It was probably good for me to get out of our home base anyway, maybe a change of scenery would do me some good. I felt a flare of irritation and was abruptly snapped out of my thoughts.

"Jasper, for the love of God, at least pretend to pay attention." Charlotte snapped.

"Char don't take your frustrations out on Jazzy boy, you should be used to his broodin' by now," I growled at Peter's use of the horrible nickname, and made sure to shoot him a healthy dose of irritation.

Char's beautiful features turned apologetic. "He's right, I'm sorry Jasper," her features morphed back into annoyance and I felt her anger flare, "I am just angry at my _husband_ here for draggin' us on random adventures with no explanation."

Peter tried to interrupt but she continued, "I was fine with goin' to California, even though we can't do nothin' but sit in our hotel room for fourteen hours a day. I wanted to see the water, lay on the beach, enjoy the plethora of despicable human beings to dine on. But after three days of listenin' to y'all watch Jersey Shore, Peter decides we absolutely have to go to a human restaurant, right this very minute. What are we going to do there Pete? Nothin'. But we have to go because your stupid 'knower' told ya so, and I know if it's actin' up we have trouble on the horizon and you refuse to give us any information!"

Peter sat down on the hotel bed and looked genuinely sorry, I doubt he even realized Charlotte had been feeling so out of the loop. "Char baby, you know I didn't mean to make ya feel like that. I'm sorry you've been feelin' so anxious because of my actions. But rest assured, the knower is leading us to a good thing." He pulled Char down beside him and rubbed her arm comfortingly.

"Well whatever it is, I would like to get this show on the road. I'd like to get us a walkin' as soon as possible because the sooner that happens, the sooner this is over with." I deadpanned. I was greeted with an emotional cocktail of concern, pity, and love from my companions, and I made sure to avoid any eye contact.

About an hour or so later, after Charlotte changed and put on some makeup, we were on our way. Walking the California streets at night was more than a little relaxing, I had to admit, and the fact that we were away from the Populus of LA while still being on the coast definitely took some of the weight off me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am grateful for my ability, it just can get a little grating sometimes. Since I switched back to human blood it is infinitely easier to manage, I had a bigger range, and more control over how much emotion I sent out and I could now mix them with incredible accuracy, but I still was wary of going to a city with such a dense grouping of humans.

I haven't tested it out and I don't really want to, this walk alone was giving me a sense of peace I hadn't felt in a long, long time, and I felt my shoulders lose a degree of their usual tension. I shot Peter and Char an equal mix of grateful and peaceful emotions, and I watched the couple relax their shoulders as well, and both of them broke out into easy smiles. It was moments like this I really resented the Cullens for cutting off our contact so much, I had really missed my real family.

We stopped outside of a restaurant that seemed to be unusually active for a Thursday night. I looked up and saw a brightly lit sign declaring the restaurant as 'Larry's Bar and Grill' just as Peter waved his arms, showcasing the front door.

Peter cleared his throat. "Alright my friends, we have arrived at our destination for the night! I have a feelin' this is goin' be a little excitin' very soon so stay calm and brace yourself."

That ruined the air of peace we had around us and Charlotte and I quickly set our shoulders and prepared for the worst. I know Peter said it would be a good surprise but given my past, I couldn't risk it. We walked through the glass doors and I was hit with a wall of emotions. Embarrassment from the tall muscled bartender with black hair, excitement with a little bit of lust from a group of blondes he was talking to. A gross amount of lust from inebriated men at the bar who were arguing three against one that the brunette waitress was hotter than the 'chocolate African beauty' hostess. Apparently, the brunette was curvy in all the right ways with a pretty face, but she there was something about her that made her seem a little dead inside. Jesus, that comment was kinda harsh, but I truly felt bad for both women. Char seemed annoyed as well, but we were quickly distracted by I assume the African beauty that the drunkards were discussing.

She was incredibly alive. It was refreshing to feel such crisp happiness as she laughed and waved at another customer before sashaying to the host's table. "Table for three?" She inquired.

Peter shot her a smile and she smiled right on back. He glanced down at her name tag and replied, "Yes ma'am, three would be just right. And by the way, Farah is a kickass name."

She laughed. "Thanks, I was named after Farah Fawcett, my dad loved her."

Right before she grabbed our menus, I was hit with the strongest dose of pure panic I had felt in an incredibly long time. I bristled, trying hard not to let it affect me too, but it was too strong not to cloud my mind a little bit. I grit my teeth and looked for the source, but as soon as Farah leaned down to grab our menus it became apparent who it was. A small brunette waitress carrying a tray of drinks towards the back looked right at us, and all the blood drained out of her face right as the tray came tumbling to the floor. Another waitress hurried over and began cleaning the mess at her feet up, but the girl was still staring right at us. Then, she just turned and sprinted away.

Farah looked incredibly concerned and we heard the back door slam just as Peter declared, "That boys and girls, was the excitement. Thank you so much for your hospitality ma'am, but unfortunately, that is our cue to leave."

All three of us rushed outside. I could smell the trail the girl left behind and I could feel the mind-numbing fear a block or so away, rapidly moving farther as she continued to run.

Peter looked right at Char and me, and said, "Let me handle this at first, but stay within earshot."

As Peter ran off, Charlotte and I calmly walked behind him.

"I know Petey said this would be a good thing long term, but Jasper the look of terror on that poor girl's face is something I haven't seen in a very, very long time." Char murmured, looking decidedly troubled.

"You didn't have to feel the poor girl's emotions. I'm still feelin' them, and for some reason, it's making my chest hurt like a motherfucker."

I felt a strange shot of acceptance replace the fear, and heard Peter approach the girl. As the girl shot back a snappy request of lessening her punishment, everything snapped into place. Holy fucking shit. That was Bella Swan. Peter had led us straight to Bella Swan. My thoughts cycled through a ton of questions all at once. Why didn't I recognize her earlier? My guess was that she looked and smelled different, and I was too caught up in the turmoil of her emotions at the time to make the connection. Why did the drunkards say she look dead inside? And finally, the one that was stirring a surprising amount of protectiveness and anger, who had been torturing her? Years of simmering torture, that's was she said. I let out a quick growl and Char shot me a startled look. Bella continued to snap at Peter, still convinced he and his 'sidekicks' were going to do something akin to torture to her until she got boring, and that almost made me nauseous. Peter clearly felt the same way, as he was radiating concern and even a little bit of hurt. Strange, Petey must be getting attached, which was very interesting. Peter finally calmed her down and she was radiating begrudging gratefulness when he finally gave us the cue to come on over.

Char and I turned into a small alley that went deep between the cities buildings, and had almost reached the nook at the end when Peter said, "Thank y'all for using human speed, Little Bird here seems a little skittish."

Char didn't have all of the information at hand. Again. I felt bad for not filling her in while my thoughts were running wild and I winced when she jokingly said, "Peter I thought we said no nicknames. Ya know ya can't get attached. What if we have to get rid of her?"

Bella's fear flared wildly before it all shut off. I couldn't feel her at all anymore, and from what I could see she looked numb. Peter cast a glare towards his wife. "Damn it, Char, I said she's skittish. No jokes, I mean it, Little Bird has clearly been through some rough shit. Don't worry sweet thing, Char is just jokin' I promise."

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Look at you Pete, gettin' all protective. She's a human, and you've known her for five seconds."

Char clearly felt bad and said, "Sugar Plum, please excuse my manners, I didn't mean to frighten you. And please excuse my husband, he seems to have skipped right past the introductions and right into the pet names. What's your name?"

As we finally stepped into the moonlight, her eyes grew almost comically wide, and she radiated a strong amount of shock. However, just like before her emotions went completely numb as she schooled her features back to indifference.

"Her name is Bella." I deadpanned.

Peter's features morphed into a look of surprise as he exclaimed, "Wait a damn minute. Like as in Eddie's Bella?"

"Eddie's Bella is dead, and I'd like to keep it that way. I go by Isa now, Isa Sawyer. And why hello to you too Jasper." She firmly stated, she took a breath as if to prepare herself, and steeled me with a determined look. "Are they here?"

"No Bella, they aren't. I'm sorry to disappoint, but it's just me." I replied, thoroughly examining the woman in front of me. She was incredibly beautiful, her teenage body had filled out and left her with a stunning hourglass figure, but after I got over that, I internally cringed. Her lips were a full pout and her heart-shaped face was framed by her gorgeous long brown hair, but her eyes… they were almost hollow. The glint she used to have was long gone, and a haunted look had replaced it. Peter was right, she had definitely seen some shit.

"Aw, sug, we could probably call 'em if you like?" Char soothed.

I felt a huge surge of fear and irritation before she said, "Absolutely not. Please. Y'all can kill me, turn me, do whatever you want, but do not, ever, call or mention the fucking Cullens. And Jasper, what the fuck did I just say: It's Isa now. Get it right and while you're at it stop staring at me like I'm an animal in a zoo."

I was taken aback by her harshness but kept my features calm. This was definitely a different girl than the one I knew in Forks. I felt bad for calling her by her old name and for staring, but everything about her was so different, it was fascinating.

Petey whistled. "Little Bird is Eddie's old girl? Are we sure about that? She's sure got a lot of spunk, and I can't see that working with the boy."

"She is one and the same. Well, she's definitely not the same, she's clearly a lot different than the girl I saw with Edward. And I'm sorry, I will stick to Isa from now on, and try my best not to stare." I replied, averting my gaze to the sweet smell of lavender planted in the corner.

I felt her eyes scan over my body, giving me a once over. A dose of muted appreciation radiated from her, quickly replaced by a feeling of being feeling incredibly out of place and confused.

I shifted my gaze back to her just in time to see her shake her head to clear her thoughts. "Thanks. Jasper's right though, I am definitely not the same doe-eyed bland pushover I was before life decided to put me in my place." While it was harsh, it was unfortunately very accurate. She had followed Edward around following his every direction, and this firecracker I saw in front of me was a definite improvement.

"See! Little Bird is goin' fit right in. My knower brought us here and she's why. She's important and we gotta protect her." Peter stated, pulling her to her feet and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Peter, she's human! You can't just whip her around like that!" I hissed feeling suddenly protective. Char looked at me, clearly confused, while Peter shot Bella a startled look with an apology in his eyes. However, she just waved it off.

"Did you even explain to her what your knower is or have you just been ravin' like a mad man this whole time?" Char chimed in. Peter started whistling and looked everywhere but his wife's eyes. "That's what I thought. Petey has a gift sug, he just gets these strong messages and they tell him different things. It's like super intuition."

She cleared her throat. "Oh. I thought he was just talking about his thoughts in the weirdest way possible, that not only makes much more sense, but it's also comforting to know he isn't nuts." We all let out a hearty laugh.

Peter shot her a grin and said, "I am definitely more than a little nuts Little Bird, don't get it twisted."


	3. Wait Isa has friends?

**Hey again! Thanks to all y'all for reading this, but try not to get used to the super-fast updates… I can't promise it will always be like this. **

**Anyway! Here we go!**  
**…**

Chapter Three

_**Wait. Isa has friends?**_

_Bella:_

We talked a little bit more in my nook before I started to shiver. The vamps were apparently now, for some reason, very concerned about my wellbeing, and thus, both Peter and Char were anxious to get me out of the cold streets. Jasper just continued regarding me cooly, clearly unsure of what to make of the "new Bella". God, it's been a while since I referred to myself by that name. It brought up too many thoughts I'd rather leave buried, paired with a wonderful shot of nausea, and Jasper arched an eyebrow in response to the rapid fluctuation in my emotions. I glared, making sure to reset to my emotional default: numbness. Surprise flickered across his features before he turned his head to say something to Peter, and I went back to autonomously following them out of the alley.

This night had dragged up memories that were better left in the past and simultaneously put my whole future into question, and let me tell you, it was a lot for a girl to handle. Although my feet continued trudging forward, my thoughts felt like they were floating in the wind like the Cotton Candy Charlie used to buy me at the fair. My heart broke a little as I remembered him, eyes crinkled at the corners, mustache twitching while watching five year old me spin in circles throwing tufts of pink and blue into the breeze.

His brown eyes looking down at me, warmed with love as he laughed. "Bella sweetie, you're supposed to eat it, not throw it into the air."

"But Daddy-" My brief respite turned sour as I was snapped back into the harsh reality of life by a hand pulling on my upper arm. Once I fully returned to the present I found I was looking into three pairs of concerned red eyes. I looked down at the hand on my arm and my brain finally regained its footing, clicking back into gear.

"Bella, Bella hey. What can I do?" Jasper murmured, casting a worried glance down at me.

That did it. I cursed myself for losing myself to my emotions, no matter how quick it was or how overloaded I felt, I just couldn't afford any mistakes. Anger coursed through my veins as I realized my slip had caused a display of weakness in front of my newfound company. The last straw came when Jasper pushed out a wave of calm to me, leaving me angrier still at his blatant attempt of manipulation.

"Start by calling me by my fucking name. Do I have to spell it out for you? It's Isa, I-S-A. Maybe all the years with that sanctimonious family rotted your brain, I really don't know, and honestly, I don't care. And while you're at it? Try not to manipulate my emotions. Hands off cowboy." I snapped, roughly shrugging his arm off my shoulder.

Charlotte and Peter looked taken aback, and Jasper actually took several steps back, looking like he was dealing with a cornered wild animal. The look of shock with a hint of hurt on his face caused all of the fight in me to evaporate, leaving me as tired and worn out as I was before I lost control of my thoughts. I wasn't mad at Jasper, not really, I was just putting my pain and frustrations onto him because he used my given name. Sure it brought up the past, and it was dangerous, but he deserved more leeway than I was giving him. Even though he was a vampire, I was betting he was feeling at least a little bit of the same disorientation I was.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Jasper. That was uncalled for, you were just trying to help me, and I bit your head off to return the favor. This night's been kind've hard on me and I'm not used to being around people this much," I ran my hand through my hair, "If it's so hard for you to remember Isa, might I suggest a nickname? Not only is using that name incredibly dangerous for me, but it also has the fun side effect of bringing up some pretty horrific memories."

"It's okay darlin', the flashes of your emotions alone are enough to earn my understanding. My apologies for bringin' up any unsightly things from your past. I don't think a nickname will be necessary, but just to be safe I'll stick to darlin' before I have it down to pat." He finished, his southern twang on full display, and he flashed a small smile.

"Hate to burst y'all's bubble here, but I gotta couple of questions. First off, Little Bird, what the hell was that?" Peter interjected.

"Yeah sug, you just shuffled along behind us, not seein' or hearin' anything. Then you just full-on stopped at the mouth of the alley until Jasper stepped in, it was a bit unnervin'." Char said, looking incredibly troubled.

I shot everyone a forced smile that was, fortunately, very convincing. "I'll be fine guys like I said it's just the stress from a really long night, and my brain just had to reboot itself real quick."

My attempt at humor seemed to do nothing to put them at ease. Well, it put Peter back to his seemingly default smirk but his eyes were still regarding me inquisitively, and Char had just the same deep analytical gaze. Jasper was unsurprisingly not fooled even a little bit, but, he gave me a small nod and we just continued on as if nothing had happened.

He shifted his gaze to Peter. "What's your next question, Peter? She's gettin' colder and colder the more we stand out here, we ain't got all day."

"Jeez, hold your horses there Major, my next question was about our destination." Peter retorted.

"You guys are being pretty friendly about it, but I'm still kind of your hostage right now. Even so, might I request going back to Larry's?" I questioned.

Char sighed. "Sug, you ain't no hostage. You're part of the family now, feel free to act however you usually do."

Peter nodded his head emphatically. "Yeah Little Bird, you're stuck with us for now. And I think headin' back to Larry's is an excellent idea," he got a glint in his eye, "I really wanna see that model of a hostess y'all've got there."

Char slapped him on the arm. "Ouch woman! What'd you do that for?" Peter exclaimed, but once he caught sight of the look on Charlotte's face he instantly shut up. Apparently, he seemed to have some common sense. Or maybe it was the fact his wife looked as if she had no qualms hitting him a second time.

I shot Peter a glare and replied, "Farah's definitely hot, but if you say anything about it to her I'll flame your ass with a lighter and some hairspray." They laughed.

Peter looked at me like someone would look at an oblivious child. "Little Bird, you don't even know if that movie contraption even works, much less if it could kill a vampire."

"Oh really now? You wanna test that out?" I replied shooting him a look that left no room for debate.

He looked genuinely a little spooked, but we finally began walking. Char and Peter quietly chatted to themselves while Jasper trailed a little behind them, and they all periodically cast glances backward as if to check on me. To avoid a repeat of earlier, and to distract myself from the cold that was continuing to numb my fingers and causing my teeth to chatter, I focused on my surroundings and tried my best not to get lost in thought. Jasper was walking in directly in front of me so I decided to zero in on his back. He had a loose red and blue flannel on which hung off of his broad shoulders but that was a little tight in the biceps, and his pants were a well-worn pair of Levi's, and they hung off his hips in just the right way.

I realized I hadn't actually ever seen him in clothes that didn't look like they came straight off of the world's most pretentious Ken Doll, and for the first time since he arrived, I wondered where Alice was. It may have been a long time since I've seen or spoken to her, but this outfit would only exist in her worst nightmare, and she would definitely incinerate it if she had the chance. I made a mental note to ask about her later, but honestly, I wasn't super excited to talk about any of the Cullens or their escapades. This situation was overwhelming enough as it is.

Shit. I was headed down the rabbit hole again. Come on Isa, focus on the world around you, back to Jasper. I liked the new look, it suited him, and when I looked down I was unsurprised to find a pair of cowboy boots on his feet. Maybe I repressed my memories of the Cullens so much I had forgotten, but I didn't seem to recall his accent being that strong before. It was probably just my good old 'frail human mind' again but either way, I liked it.

Before long we arrived at Larry's back door and I steeled myself for what was coming. "Alright gang, I'm calling the shots here. Let me do most of the talking and we'll be fine. It's showtime folks, glasses on!" They nodded and laughed and we walked into the warmth of the bar. I had known I was cold but damn, the warmth surrounding me made me realize I was colder than I thought.

That thought was confirmed by an incredibly relieved looking Farah, who ran over to greet us. "Jesus Iz! Your lips are literally blue!"  
She waved Stephanie over, "Iz is off for the night, I'm setting her up at her usual table, grab her some tea."

Stephanie stared at Jasper and looked as if she'd either start drooling or pass out at any moment, and he gave her a quick smile. I think I literally saw her heart skip a beat, and I rolled my eyes towards a snickering Peter and Char.

"Hey! Stephanie! Iz's lips are literally blue and all you seem to care about is ogling her friends. Get the tea. Now." Farah fixed her with a hard look and I realized just how grateful that little display of affection made me. Spoiler Alert: It was too grateful. I really need to learn to stop forming attachments.

Stephanie still had yet to move so Farah quite literally spun her around towards the kitchen and proceeded to whisper some words into her ear that caused her to take off, presumably to get my tea. I shot Farah a grateful smile and she walked us over to my booth.

Good old table 13. It sat in a dimly lit corner of the bar, and because of its seedy location, I was pretty much the only one that used it. The maroon seats were still in mint condition: no rips or stains, and the cushions were still as fluffy as they were when this bar was built. Matter of fact, they even still squeaked when you sat in them. The walnut table was still in similar condition, aside from a chip in the left outermost corner where I tripped and ended up breaking a bowl full of ravioli on it, and my initials carved in the very back corner of the seat facing the restaurant. They were my real initials too because it was another one of my special hidden places, pieces of my transient lie of a life I've cut out just for me.

I tried to scoot into my usual spot, as I was still on guard like always, and I enjoyed the security I felt from being able to view the entirety of the restaurant, but Jasper stopped me.

"Sorry darlin' I think it's better if I have the view tonight." He whispered into my ear as he walked behind me to slide into the seat. Shivers went down my spine and I nodded and took a seat next to him, while Peter and Charlotte took a seat across from us.

"Iz, you know what's coming," Farah said. I nodded and she continued, "Who are these handsome gentlemen and this wonderful lady? Iz doesn't talk much and I can't say I've ever met someone who considers her a friend beside me and Isaac. Speaking of which Iz, you need to check in with him before you leave, the poor guy has been worried sick."

I rubbed my tired eyes and felt a shot of guilt for not considering his feelings earlier. "I'll talk to Ike, don't worry. As for my frien-"

She interrupted me. "Nuh-uh, sweetie. Let your friends speak for themselves. You know how to dodge a question better than this guy," she pointed to Peter, who gave her a huge smirk, "looks like he knows how to dodge the police."

We all cackled at that, and simultaneously a terrified looking Stephanie appeared and laid a large teapot of hot water, a cup, and an assortment of sugars and tea bags in front of me. I was still pretty cold so I made myself some English Breakfast and just began holding the teapot in hopes of warming up my ice-cold fingers.

Once Stephanie had left, Jasper started. "Isa and I knew each other a long time ago, but not that well. We are both very different people now, and we're just catchin' up."

Farah raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. "Uh-huh. So, where's the part about why my girl fled in panic when she laid eyes on the three of you?"

I cleared my throat. "I can answer that, Farah. I told you when you hired me I had a few skeletons in my closet, and Jasper happens to be linked, through no fault of his own, to one of the main ones. So immediately when I saw him my first thought was that it had come back to haunt me," I looked at her pleaded with my eyes to get her to drop it, "I really can't say anymore, you know that."

She sighed but nodded. "I know, that same old, same old 'for your protection' bullshit. Iz, I'm begging you, you gotta let someone in or you'll drive yourself insane."

Char chimed in, "Sugar Plum's got us now," she shot me a look full of kindness and affection and continued, "We'll help her in any way she'll let us. Anyways, the ass who refused to introduce himself is Jasper," He shot her a glare. "And the police dodgin' fella is my husband Peter, and I'm Charlotte. We're Jasper's family, but we never had the pleasure of meeting Isa before." She finished, her full lips pulling up into a smile.

"And if I might ma'am, you pretty much made my night with that police comment. It's sort of a runnin' joke between the family." Peter politely stated. He looked like he was about to add something more, but the glares Char and I sent him were enough for him to rethink that train of thought.

Farah laughed, "You're welcome Peter. Can I ask you guys a quick question? What are the sunglasses for? It seems to have escaped your notice, but it's around 1 in the morning and sufficiently dark."

"Oh don't you worry, it's just another one of Peter's lil runnin' gags. He thinks it is just about the funniest thing he's ever seen when local folks think we're celebrities or somethin' just 'cause the glasses. Between you and me, I think the man just likes feeling special." Char replied.

Farah chuckled. "Alright, well, I wish you guys a wonderful night. And I hope you decide to stick around for a while, Isa could really use the company." Farah looked at me and sighed, and gave everyone a wave before she walked off to resume her duties.

I looked over at Jasper and noticed his head was tilted downwards, and I watched as his fingers continued to trace over my carved initials. He seemed deep in thought, and I wasn't feeling up to much more vulnerability tonight so I decided to address an elephant in the room.

"Okay team: what's the plan." I said.

Char raised an eyebrow. "What plan are ya talkin' about sug?"

I shrugged. "Oh, you know, like what you guys are gonna do with me. This applies in both the short and long term sense, like am I being whisked away to a hidden property, or staying at my own place? I don't know where you guys are staying but my place barely fits me, let alone four people. And should I start wrapping up my loose ends here?"

"Woah there," Peter whistled "hold your horses there Isa. Nothin' we do will ever be without your say so. My knower says we gotta keep ya close, cared for, and safe. That's where our duties end. Like it or not, you're the one drivin' this ship, all we gotta do is stick around."

"What ship would that be Pete?" Char's melodic voice asked, confused.

The glint in his eye returned, and he simpered. "This relation-ship." His fingers drew a heart in the air and he blew me a kiss before setting his head on his folded hands.

I laughed and smiled a real, genuine smile back, which was returned by a goofier, slightly lopsided one from Peter. Char looked between the two of us, smiling too, and even Jasper sat in the corner with a small smile playing at his lips. We all stared at each other for a moment, shifting the focus of our gaze from person to person, our smiles growing wider and wider as the seconds passed. When I finally turned my head and made eye contact with Jasper, I let out a bubble of laughter. He was smiling, like, properly smiling, and it was beautiful. His gleaming, impossibly white teeth were on full display, and he looked so open and happy. The fact that I was here, in my bar, seated in my booth with three vampires, one of which was my ex-boyfriend's brother, hit me like a bus, and I couldn't hold in the hysterical laughter that was building in my throat. My laughter caused Peter and Charlotte to laugh too, and once Jasper was decked by the full force of our emotions, he couldn't stop either. It was ridiculous, and I don't know how my life led up to this point, but I was suddenly a little grateful it did.

Throughout our brief fit of madness, I couldn't help but notice the vamps around me. It wasn't just their vampiric beauty, though that certainly didn't hurt, it was how their happiness radiated off of them. Peter was almost convulsing because his laughter was so strong, one arm thrown around Char, and one arm dragging a hand over his face. He was overtaken with laughter, and he looked so alive because of it, and something told me this display was something of a rarity. Char was bracing her hands on her thighs, shaking with laughter while she stared at Peter. And Jasper, well Jasper looked stunning. We had locked eyes, laughter escaping us despite our attempts to quell it. One of his muscled arms was braced on the table, and he finally broke eye contact to lean his head against the wall, letting me look at the strong line of his jaw and how the long blonde curls fell perfectly around his face as our laughter quieted. Holy shit. I was sitting here, in my booth, with three vamps, one of which was my ex-boyfriend's brother, and I was fucking attracted to him. I thought Jasper Hale was fucking hot. I thought Jasper Hale was fucking hot, and he was fucking married. Oh God please help me. The absurdity of that thought set off another round of hysterical laughter for the table. Once we stopped, for real this time, we just sat there grinning at one another with a sense of pleasant sense of disbelief hanging over the table.

I cleared my throat. "Jesus guys, I haven't laughed that hard since… well maybe ever, but we've got to make a plan. The bar is going to close here soon so here's my tentative idea: I'd like to stick around here for at least a bit until we decide on a long term plan or a next move. There's some stuff you should know about me that I'm not quite ready to share yet, and I've got to learn to trust you guys first. Tonight, I'm going back to my place, you guys can decide how exactly you fit into that."

"That sounds like a good plan darlin'. We got a hotel room we can camp out in until we meet ya next." Jasper replied, his accent extremely, wonderfully, present.

"I agree with Jasper, we can all camp out until tomorrow when we meetcha next," Peter said nodding. "We can just meet at your place and decide our plans for the night tomorrow, and that should give ya a lil time to sort through all those thoughts you've got runnin' around your brain."

Char nodded. "Alright boys, sounds like a plan. Sug, Jasper'll take ya home so we know where to go tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good. Have a goodnight I guess?" I cringed, but what are you supposed to say to vampires that seem pretty nice but also just turned your life upside down? I like 'em, and we seem to be fast friends, but damn!

Charlotte and Peter laughed and said their goodbyes. After they had gotten up, I turned to Jasper. "Alright, I just got to tell Ike I'm alive, wave Farah a goodnight, and grab my stuff, and then we can head out of here."

He nodded and I reluctantly pried myself up from the comfort of the booth. Jasper ran his hand over my initials one final time before he stood up beside me. Jesus that man is tall! I am aware that my stature isn't by any means formidable, but wow, that man is built like a warrior. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and headed towards the bar, but when I reached the walnut behemoth there was no one to be found.

"Ike? You still here?" I yelled.

"Iz!" A deep-voice answered back right as a body popped up from behind the counter.

I looked into the green eyes of my friend. "Hey man, guess I'm still breathing." I smiled but my joke fell flat.

"You can't just scare me like that Iz. I'm supposed to look out for you, and I can't do that if you take off." He frowned and dutifully picked at something on the bar top, and I realized he wasn't talking about just tonight.

"Ike, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate the sentiment though," I gave him a warm smile, "I just got spooked by a bit of my past creeping up on me. It's okay though, despite my initial reaction Jasper and his family are a good surprise."

Jasper gave Ike a firm nod and looked him up and down as if assessing him. "I'm Jasper, and I'll be takin' care of Isa from here on out, don't worry." Was that a hint of jealousy I detected? Obviously not, that would mean there's something for him to get jealous over, but a girl could dream. Or alternatively: she could not fantasize about her ex's married brother. What a concept. Jesus, it's been literally like, a couple of hours with the vamp beauty and it's already fried my brain to a crisp.

Ike shot me a confused look and I shrugged. "Well, I'm just glad someone's taking care of her. She's stubborn as hell and a borderline recluse, and she doesn't let many people in. Don't mess it up." Ike shot Jasper a hard look, and Jasper just returned it in even measure.

I felt like I was living in a parallel universe because in my reality my sweet, lovable, big-brother-Esque bartender would not be glaring at Jasper fucking Hale.

Why do men always talk about women like they're not standing right in front of them? I rolled my eyes. "Hey, assholes. The 'recluse' is standing right here."

They continued their staring contest for around two more seconds, at which point Ike's phone beeped.

He flipped open his phone, typed out a message, and then turned to me. "That's my cue Iz, Carter's outside. I'm glad you're okay, stay safe." He turned to Jasper. "Please make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or get into any trouble." Jasper simply gave him another nod back and Ike waved as he jogged out the back doors.

What was with all the nodding? He could just drop the macho act and use his words like an adult but instead, he had to act all "dark and mysterious". Ugh. We traveled back through the back hallway and turned into the staff break room. I had just finished grabbing my bag and my keys as Farah walked in through the door.

"Night Farah, thanks again for being so understanding tonight," I said and shot her a small smile.

"No problem Iz, you know you've more than earned some slack. Also, I'm really glad you've actually got someone walking you home tonight. You just had to be the white knight, didn't you Jasper?" She chuckled.

"Of course, I had to make sure the little lady makes it home safe. But darlin' you didn't tell me we were walking." He arched an eyebrow.

"What can I say, I'm all about saving the Earth." I deadpanned.

Farah laughed. "Alright guys, I'll leave you to it, I'm going to go close."

She waved and headed out the door and I looked to Jasper. He was currently leaning on our break room lockers with his eyebrow still arched in question at me, and I rolled my eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that night.

"What, it's not like you're going to be the one that gets cold. Let's just go." I zipped up my jacket, put on my gloves, and looked up to find Jasper holding the door open for me. I whispered my thanks, and we began the trek to my home base.


	4. It's Quaint!

**Hello to any new followers of this story! All the favorites, follows, and reviews are warming my heart. Thank y'all for taking an interest in my latest pet project and I hope you enjoy it. **

**Without further ado…**

…

Chapter Four

**_"It's Quaint!"_**

_Jasper:_

According to Bella we were about halfway done with our journey to her apartment. And when I said journey, I meant it. If she was correct in her estimation, her apartment was easily four miles away from Larry's, and that was vaguely concerning. I never spent much time around Edward's pet human or humans in general, so I was far from an expert on their needs, but walking in the cold every night alone didn't seem entirely safe. And it wasn't as if this was a gentle walk, Bella was clearly huffin' and puffin' trying to maintain her brisk pace, eyes darting into every alley we passed. At one point, a homeless man shouted something at her and threw a bottle at the street and she looked entirely too unphased. After that I made sure to walk either right beside or right behind her, ready to defend her at a moment's notice, and it was a good thing too, due to all the various disasters occurring around us. She clearly didn't want to talk, or she just couldn't due to lack of breath, but I was fine with the silence.

It gave me a chance to analyze her emotions and her body language more, and process the bizarre situation I found myself in. Plus, it was probably easier this way, Bella definitely was about to open a big can of worms on my coven, I could tell from the constant undercurrent of fear and dread in her emotions, and her initial reaction to us, and I didn't really want to get into it tonight. What did surprise me though was that the silence wasn't uncomfortable, most humans seemed to rush to fill any silence with words, but Bella remained comfortably silent as I walked alongside her. I liked it. Her constant flurry of emotions were a bit rough, the strong ones just a flicker in an abyss of nothing, but other than that I found myself enjoying the walk, and I was rather glad I was able to help Bella get home safely, something about her personality shift drew me to her, and I wanted to ensure I had plenty more opportunities to unravel the mystery of the new her in the future.

"Jasper, we're here." We had arrived at a building I would describe as rickety if I was being nice. If I was being honest I would call it like it was: a decrepit piece of shit. "You can go off to your cushy hotel now, I'm just going to head up to bed." Bella deadpanned.

"I'd like to see how to get to your specific apartment, and what kind've gentleman would I be if I didn't walk you all the way to your room darlin'?" I gave her a wink and strode on through the tattered front doors.

I could hear a bum fight down the way, and even I knew this type of bad neighborhood was no place for an attractive single woman. It was a pretty rough part of town, and her building fit right in. Internally I cringed thinking about what the inside of her apartment must look like, and I really hoped it was better than the condition of the lobby implied.

Bella led me past an elevator that had 'OUT OF ORDER' spray-painted on its doors, and into a poorly lit cement stairwell. As we climbed the flights of stairs I watched Bella dodge the spots covered in vomit and/or urine as if it was second nature, and while I had definitely been through worse, I had to admit this experience was pretty disgusting. It was also kind of disturbing she didn't even have to think about dodging the spots of unsavory materials as she continued her trek, she just climbed with a natural flow that implied she had done this a million times before this one, and the lack of disgust on her face spoke to that as well. I suddenly felt a strong wave of pity for the small auburn-haired creature, she clearly had been through a lot to survive.

After about four flights of atrocious stains, obstacles, and smells, Bella motioned me through a door. This hallway wasn't nearly as bad as the stairwell, but I wouldn't say it was good either. The ceiling was yellow and sagging in spots due to extensive water damage, and the purple patterned carpet was pulling up in sporadic places revealing chipped cement. We walked to the end of the hall, and Bella got her keys out and unlocked her door. She swung it open and I braced myself for the potential squalor I was about to see.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Bella didn't seem to notice my reaction and proceeded to turn the light on and walk in just to spin around to give me a glare, clearly daring me to say something about her barren apartment. It really wasn't that bad, it was tiny, smaller than one of Alice's walk-in closets with a tiny kitchenette to the right of the door and a frameless twin bed in the left-hand corner. There was a small window on the far wall which was frosty with age but it still let the moonlight in, and in its sill sat a green leafy plant. I scanned the apartment for signs of her previous life and found no family photos or mementos, but I noticed a large poster on the wall depicting a familiar blonde girl holding a stake.

I let out a long laugh. "You think this is funny Jasper? This is all I can afford and where I have been living on my own for the better part of two years, so keep any condescending opinions to yourself." She snarled looking furious.

I managed to rein in my laughs and put my hands up in surrender. "I'm not laughin' at you darlin' or your place. I just couldn't help but notice Sarah Michelle Gellar eyeing me, and it forced me to laugh. It is strangely fitting for this new you, and I like it."

She relaxed and her cheeks became tinged with pink. "You know who Buffy is? I just had to cover up a mark on the wall, and it seemed funny enough in a dark kind of way." She wiped her scarred hand over her face and smiled. I quickly realized how the joke could come from a place of darkness. She had faced death at the hands of vampires too many times, and it stung knowing I was a part of that. However, the fact she was willing to joke about it at least a little brought me some solace, she still found the strength to be humorous no matter how shitty life got, and it reminded me of Peter a little bit.

I waved at the poster. "Buffy is definitely one of Emmett's favorite shows. A hot blonde on a show about campy vampires? Especially one datin' a giant pale brunette? God, I think it might be him and Rosalie's favorite costume ever." Her smile stopped reaching her eyes, and internally I felt a little bad for bringing up Emmett, I should've remembered they used to be close.

"Also, as for the apartment, I've always been a fan of minimalism myself." I joked. Bella's eyes turned mischievous and I watched her bend down to grab something off her bed. Then I did something I can't remember doing for the longest time in my vampire life: I got distracted. Bella Swan had grown up, and that grown-up had a really good looking ass. It was curved in just the right way, the lean V of her back leading to a perfectly rounded rear clothed in rich navy-blue deni-

I barely had time to react before I was hit by something in the face. I prepared to catch the form of whatever the object was after it had rebounded, but my plans were thwarted when upon contact with my face it burst, showering the room with showers of small tufts of white feathers. My hands were left empty as a pillowcase fell to the floor, and I just stared on, wide-eyed at Bella standing in the midst of the feather shower, almost bent over laughing.

Her long hair had fallen in waves over her shoulders and she had both hands clasped over her mouth. "That worked out _so _much better than I thought it would. Serves you right asshole, it's only minimalism if you're filthy rich and choose this lifestyle, not when you just can't afford nice things like an end table." She wrinkled her nose at the mess of white feathers adorning her yellow oak-paneled floor. "By the way, you owe me a new pillow."

I nodded. "I'll steal you one from the hotel. That is if you don't just don't want to skip the middle man and just head there for the night."

"Look, it hasn't escaped my notice that I live in a dump on the nasty part of town but I really needed some space and time spent in familiar surroundings after my shit show of a night tonight, okay? Besides once I make it through the safety of my doors," A couple of large thumps sounded from above and Bella glared at the ceiling. "It all usually calms down." Thump. "I mean sometimes my neighbors are a bit noisy," Thump. "But it calms down," Thump. "After a bit." Thump.

I raised an eyebrow at Bella. The thumps initially sounded like an indignant person stamping their feet, but they had developed into the sounds and crashes that accompanied the hurtling of objects.

I quickly heard the screaming of two distinct voices.

"_I saw you out with that whore! Don't you lie to me, Tony! Its all the girls were talking about when we were getting our nails done today!"_

"_Dina. baby, I promise I didn't sleep with that girl! I barely even know her!"_

"_I know you did you fucking pig! " _ I heard the clear sound of glass shattering above us.

"_I'm gonna make you pay for that you rotten son-of-a-bitch!" _Thump.

Powder rained down from the ceiling, and she sighed. "Sweet Jesus, God really had to rile Tony and Dina up while you were here just to spite me." The sound of more screams accompanied her words, and she looked at me, silently pleading. "Look, Jasper-"

"I'm not draggin' you to the hotel darlin'. You said you wanted to stay here, so you stay," She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. "But, I'm staying too." She bristled and opened her mouth as if to respond.

I held up a hand and continued. "I know you've had a lot of the bullshit protector act from Eddie, and I know it was worthless in the end because you can clearly hold your own all by your lonesome, but Peter put me on protector duty tonight and I'm not goin' to go back just to lie and tell him you were safe and sound. First off, the lil'fucker would probably know I'm lying, and then he'd come back and be all 'protective big brother' on you and you'd end up smothered and I'd end up gettin' beat from both him and Char, and neither of us wants that." She deflated and fell back onto her bed in defeat.

I felt a flicker of overwhelming exhaustion from her and I quickly began wrapping it up, "Second off, even you admitted this was a bad part of town, and I personally don't feel like leavin' ya here. So I can either hang around inside this place with you, or I can hang around outside breakin' up the bum fights, the choice is yours."

She gave a laugh disguised as a sharp exhale and raised her head to look at me. "Oh cowboy, if you went out front there is not a chance in hell you would be doing anything but fending off prostitutes. Let me just get ready for bed and you can practice lurking in the corner while I sleep like the nightmarish blast from my past that you are!"

The nickname stirred some unknown emotions in my chest, but they were pleasant enough so I let them slide. Bella had gotten up to her bed and proceeded to grab some clothes out of one of her mini kitchenette's lower cabinets. Once again, I was no expert in human activities, but that did not seem like a place for clothes. Actually I think Alice would try to skin me alive if I did that, and the bitch would probably light my jeans on fire while she was at it too. Banishing thoughts of the pixie out of my head I watched her disappear into a door next to where the kitchenette ended, and I wondered why I hadn't noticed the door before. I didn't really know what to do with myself so I looked up in thought and found that the ceiling in Bella's room wasn't safe from the same water damage that afflicted the hall and it actually looked rather unsteady, but thankfully the wall-shaking thumping had calmed. The powder from Tony and Dina's earlier escapades lay on the floor next to the feathers from mine and Bella's, and I carefully cleaned it up, scooping it into a small trashcan by the fridge. I also shot a quick text to Peter saying I was staying the night, but I expected no response.

Bella pranced out of the bathroom carrying her old clothes and a plastic disposable water bottle. She had changed into some ratty sweatpants and a skin-tight black tank top, but despite the tattered garbs, she still looked rather attractive. I wonder why that matters to me now, I've slept with beautiful women and looked at borderline goddesses, so why did Bella, a human girl, even register on my radar? Actually the more I thought about it, it would take a blind and deaf man to fail to notice her allure. I mean even the poster boy of celibacy himself did, and God knows Eddie still moons after this girl however many years later.

"Jasper I'm uh, just gonna head to bed. You can do… well, whatever it is you're gonna do." Bella said as she looked out the window and set her pile of used clothes on the sill. She uncapped the water bottle and poured half of the water into the plant and chugged the other half before she laid it on the sill as well.

She climbed into bed under the covers and sleepily slurred, "Hey Jasp, can you turn the switch?"

"What?" I had no idea what she was trying to tell me.

"Jaasssspppp the switch, turn the switch, make it go dark." Oh shit, she must mean the light switch. I flitted over and turned it off to a quiet mumble of thanks.

"Hey darlin', may I send you some emotions to help you sleep?" I inquired, probably to the empty darkness.

"Yes please!" Bella whispered back, slurring her words. She was most likely almost fully unconscious.

"Night Bella." I replied.

She grunted. "Don't call me that, prick."

Well, I guess she wasn't unconscious enough. I sent her a strong dose of lethargy to avoid an argument for my slip, and sat down against the wall and closed my eyes. If I sent her enough lethargy, then I could absorb her manufactured experience myself and fall into a pseudo-sleep. I began to feel it working, a pleasant feeling that started in my toes and climbed upward until my eyes slipped closed on their own accord and I slipped into the void of semi-unconsciousness.


	5. Let's Catch Up

**Hey y'all- Sorry it took so long! I'm thinking of making the chapters longer (kind've like this one!), but granted they would take more time. Any thoughts? Also, I'm going to go back through my previous chapters and edit away the errors that keep me up at night, so rest assured some of the more glaring mistakes will be fixed. Also, sorry this chapter is so wordy, you know we had to get "The Talk" out of the way.**

**And I feel like a broken record but: your kind words make my day. Seriously. The reviews are so sweet! I'm super happy that y'all like Bella with a spine because it drives me nuts how passive she is in some fics, so I wanted to make sure she was a bit of a spitfire in this one. In general though, I'm literally so glad y'all like this story, and I'll try my best to keep the words coming! **

**Alright, I'll stop talking. :)**

…

Chapter 5

_**The Worst "How've you been?" Ever**_

_Bella:_

This time I was there, in my old living room, watching Charlie walk through the front door. He smiled at me with the same smile I remembered, that I missed, the one where his eyes crinkled at the corners and his mustache twitched up towards his nose, and I was blinded by the familial love in for a few seconds. But then a cold wave of understanding washed over me and I screamed bloody murder. I screamed at him to get out of the way. I screamed at him to run. I screamed at my dad and begged him to leave, to fight, to do anything to prevent what I knew was coming. He just continued smiling, lovingly down at me, right up until the point where a blur of red flitted by. One second, he was my dad sweetly looking down at me, and the next he was a dying man falling to his knees with his blood spurting all directions. I watched countless family photos get smattered with repeated jets of red, and I cried out as my father collapsed, face down, in a pool of his own blood. Then I felt something hot and sticky being pressed into my hand and looked down to see that I was holding the mangled chunk of flesh that had been torn from my father's throat. I screamed and sobbed, and a familiar voice whispered:

"_Don't worry Bella. You'll join him soon."_

I screamed again, and I found myself looking into two pools of red. The eyes hovered over my face and filled me with renewed terror, maybe she was finally here, maybe this was just the end for me, maybe-

"Bella! It is okay, you just had a nightmare, I've gotcha darlin'. It's just me, it's just Jasper, shhh, shhh." I felt my terror as if it was a solid thing, sharp, right in the middle of my chest, and I stared wide-eyed at Jasper who was holding my shoulders in his large hands. My hands were fisted in his shirt as I slowly regained my breath, and it was all I could do to focus on the waves of calm he was sending me and breathe in his scent. He smelled like a summer dusk, with just a hint of gunpowder and Earth, and for some reason, it alone was doing an extremely good job at soothing my internal rollercoaster.

"Darlin' I-I have to apologize. I selfishly used your lethargy to put me into a state of unawareness to pass the time and thus didn't focus on sending you the necessary peaceful emotions to keep you calm and asleep. This was all my fault and I'm sorry you had to pay the price for my mistake." As the haze of terror and confusion lifted I looked at Jasper and realized how shaken up he looked. His eyes were filled with guilt and concern, and his shoulders were as tense as I had ever seen them.

"Hey, it's okay. I was so exhausted I didn't remember to warn you about the nightmares and I'm really sorry you had to deal with them. Are you okay? You look- Well, Jasper, you look pretty shit." I unwound my hands from his shirt and flattened them against his chest.

He looked away and took a hand off my shoulder to fist it in his curls. "Darlin' your emotions have always been particularly strong to me, but when we… reacquainted ourselves, you seemed to have them under lock and key aside from some rough flashes here and there. I wasn't really prepared for the overwhelmin', all-encompassin' terror that pulled me out of my trance, and I didn't know how to help you. I thought something was really wrong, and you were screaming and I couldn't wake you up or do anythin' to help, and it felt like a bomb goin' off in my chest when I realized this was my fault and I had no idea how to help."

I felt really bad because it was obvious something about this had gotten to him, he looked like hell. "Jasper, it's okay, I get these all the time. This wasn't your fault and I should've warned you." I rubbed my hands on his chest. "You know how you can make it up to me though?" His downcast head popped up immediately with a glimmer of hope. "Usually after dreams like that I have to stay awake for the rest of the night, but with you here I have the option of going back to sleep. So, if you could be so kind as to shoot me some more of that sleep juice, I would love you forever." I rubbed his chest once more, finishing with a pat before I removed my arms.

He cracked a small smile and said "That I can do." He climbed off my mattress and sat down beside the bed, and he kept his hand on my shoulder. "Just say when."

"When."

I opened my eyes and looked at the rings of yellow water damage present on my paneled ceiling. They used to be few and far between, but now it was as if there was a whole colony of them, all interlocking.

I sat bolt upright. "Holy shit." I can't believe I slept in so late, it felt like it was almost noon, and sleeping in that late for me was almost unheard of. Then I heard laughing beside me, and I turned my head to find none other than Jasper fucking Hale next to me, and then the memories of the day prior flew into my head like they were shot from a gun.

"Holy. Shit."

Jasper's laughs got louder and he smirked at me. "Is every mornin' this entertaining darlin'?"

I flushed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Oh shut up. Mornings are always disorienting, and the fact that there seems to be a ghost from my past in my living room doesn't exactly help things." I noticed there was a sliver of sunlight reflecting on the wall beside me and I looked to see that my curtains were closed. "Jasper, why did you stay here all night? It is going to be sunny all day and now you're essentially trapped here."

He rubbed his neck and looked away. "I wanted to make up for the incident last night and give you a good night's sleep, it is just better for everyone that you are well-rested." He shrugged and shot me a look filled with something I couldn't quite pin down and murmured, "Plus it looked like you needed it."

My first impulse was to say something to the effect of "Wow! Good to know I looked like a complete wreck." but I reined it in when I saw that he was trying to be considerate. Plus, that probably wasn't that far off from the truth.

"Well, I guess we're stuck here for the foreseeable future." He winced. Huh, the 'foreseeable future' must be a sore spot for him. I cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry. Let me get dressed and we can get down to the fun catch up sess."

I climbed out from under the covers and walked to my "kitchen" if you could even call it that. It had a couple of counters, a death trap of a stove, a leaky sink, and the only truly functioning item, my fridge. I never cooked here, because if I really had the impulse Farah always let me use the infinitely superior equipment at Larry's, and so I just used my cabinet space for snacks and as a makeshift dresser. I sifted through my folded clothes and decided to pick out an old band shirt and my comfiest pair of jeans for my outfit of the day. I walked into my tiny, oh so janky bathroom and began to change. The bathroom had tiled flooring that I assume was white at one point, but had long since transformed into a pale yellow, and dated blue wallpaper that was peeling at the top. I had given up regluing it long ago and focused on cleaning the tile and hardware regularly so that even if they looked dirty, they weren't. The tiny room housed a small shower, a toilet, and a sink, and they were all a nice hospital pink. I imagine the bathroom looked like a baby shower threw up when it was in it's prime, but now it just looked like it was decorated by someone who looked at Goodwill Easter decorations for inspiration. I honestly didn't know which was worse, but I think a part of me died a little every time I looked into the cracked gaudy puce mirror. Unfortunately, it was the only mirror in the whole place, so it was an everyday occurrence.

I looked in the God awful mirror and sighed. The rest from the night before had not erased the intense dark circles which seemed to be permanently etched under my eyes or the air of exhaustion that hung around my body. I was quickly tiring of dissecting my flaws in the mirror so I took a swig of mouth wash and straightened my shirt, it was old and worn, but the Jimmy Eat World shirt still remained one of my favorites. I spit out my mouthwash and turned to face the inevitable: a super uplifting catch up session with my favorite vamp who tried to kill me. I knew I was being more bitter than usual because of my dread but Jasper really didn't deserve that, and I felt more than a little guilty for just the thought. It's not like I blamed him at all, he had no control over acting like the predator he was. I suddenly wondered how he was doing with his bloodlust, and felt guilty for not asking sooner.

I had just crossed the threshold into the main room when Jasper zeroed in on me and said, "Why all that guilt darlin'?" He was sitting cross-legged across from my bed, probably in the same position he had held all night.

I sighed. "I was just thinking about how it was probably hard for you to sit next to me last night while I slept, especially in such close quarters, and I was kicking myself for not asking about it sooner."

His face lost all of its mirth. "It was no problem. The new diet has vastly improved my control, it is barely even an issue anymore." He furrowed his brow.

"Guess it's time for the gritty stuff, isn't it?" I scrubbed a hand over my face walked over to sit on my mattress. I folded my legs and leaned against the wall, which put me directly across from him. He clearly was struggling with something and I think I knew what.

"Jasp-" I started.

"Darlin'-" We laughed for a second but his face quickly reverted to his previous sad look. "To start with the 'gritty stuff' as you call it, I have to apologize. I am sorry for my loss of control last time I saw you, if I was in my right mind I would have never meant you any harm. Unfortunately, I wasn't, and it seems to have caused quite a mess for us both, so I am deeply sorry."

He averted his shame-filled gaze. "Jasper look at me. Right now." We locked eyes once more and I saw the true depths of the guilt and pain in his eyes. "I'm not going to forgive you." He dropped his gaze once more, but not before I saw the wave of hurt flicker across his features, so I rushed to continue. "No Jasper, it isn't like that. I'm just not going to forgive you because there is nothing to forgive. I cut my finger in a room filled with vampires. Every single vampire in that room had black eyes, Jasper. You're an empath. I did the math and didn't take much time for me to realize that you felt all of the thirst in the room and that overwhelming thirst alone was enough to make you lose it, but I'm Edward's singer, so God, it must've been hell for you. And let's get something out of the way: This mess is no one's fault but mine and Edward's, so go ahead and let yourself off the hook."

"Thank you. Did you know you are the first person to suggest the empath-thirst theory? And well, honestly, it makes a lot of sense. Thank you for being so understandin', I promise I will try and avoid taking a bite out of ya in the future." He smiled and looked beyond relieved.

I shot him a small smile of my own in response. "I'm sorry Jasper, but you know I have to ask. Speaking of the future, where the hell is Alice?"

He gave a heavy sigh. "Probably with the rest of the Cullens. She ended things after your birthday, something about me being a too time consumin' charity case."

I let out a laugh by accident, and I rushed to explain it. "I'm sorry, that was so rude of me! It's just- Look at the two of us, we sure know how to pick 'em: sanctimonious and condescending. I really am sorry about that though, but if you don't mind me asking? How is that possible? I was given the impression that mating was irrevocable and permanent."

He rolled his eyes. "That is the dictionary definition, yes, but there is a lot more to mates than that. Is that all Eddie told you?" I nodded. "Well, mates are not unlike the human concept of soulmates, lots of people claim to be soulmates but in actuality, it's incredibly rare. So rare in fact that soulmates are pretty much a common myth and thus, the word soulmate has just come to mean a very strong love. Alice was my mate in the sense that we shared a long term monogamous relationship, but not in the sense that she was my one and only. I thought she was my true mate for a long time, but you can't leave your mate as she did. Given that information, I'm not exactly a leading authority on true mates, but when Peter talks about it, he says it's like Charlotte is his whole world and that when they're separated it physically hurts in the center of his chest. I also know he can't bear to see her in any pain, physical or otherwise, but that's about it, so any other questions on that front are best suited for the idiot in question or his lovely wife."

I nodded. "That's really interesting, I'll have to talk to Peter about it. It seems there is a lot I don't know, though I can't say it is surprising that Edward hid information to fit his own narrative. I'm sorry you and Alice separated," I wasn't. "But I have to say, you seem to be doing pretty well without her. You seem more like your own person and less like her walking Ken Doll, though it's not like I can say much about being someone's puppet."

He laughed. "We've both grown past that, thank God." His gaze turned apologetic and he spoke again, "Time for more grit darlin'. What the hell happened after we left?"

I took a deep breath. "Nothing much. I was depressed for a bit but I pulled it together and graduated. Then I moved around from here to there, and well, now I'm here."

He gave me an incredulous look. "Can you elaborate? How's Charlie?"

That name would've knocked the wind out of me, but I was prepped and ready with some sweet sweet emotional numbness. "Dead." His jaw dropped. "And no. I will elaborate when I so choose."

"Bella I-" Jasper started.

"Jasper. Watch the name, it's Isa now." I forced out through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry, I'll work on it. And I'm sorry to hear about your father." I nodded, and he moved on "Well, then how's Renee?"

"We are not in contact. We haven't talked since before Charlie died, so I really couldn't tell ya." I deadpanned.

"Darlin' you've got to give me a bit more than this."

I relented and focused on my Buffy poster so I could avoid seeing the pity on his face. "Well, after Eddie left me in the forest-"

"Excuse me?" Jasper inquired, disbelieving.

"Sorry, I assumed you were privy to Edward's strategy. He walked me out into the woods, told me he had never loved me, that I was just a distraction and that my feeble human mind would forget him and move on, and a bunch of other fun phrases he probably found in a book titled "How to Shatter a Girl's Heart and Give Her Crippling Abandonment Issues 101". Then as a grand finale, he left me there, in the middle of the woods, and being the lovesick codependent girl I was, I tried to follow him. I kept walking until I couldn't anymore and collapsed against a tree until the search party they sent out for me finally found me, soaking wet and cold, a shell of myself. After that, I fell into a comatose state until Charlie and Renee threatened to hospitalize me, at which point I finally pulled myself out of the "Lost the Love of My Life And My Future At the Same Time" funk and finished up my Senior year. Let's see, I became really good friends with Jake, then Laurent tried to kill me. I found out about the wolves, and then some other stuff happened and I graduated. I was going to head off to U-Dub until I started getting little surprises left for me by a certain ginger. The wolves tried to protect me from Vicky but we had a few too many close calls and Charlie decided to use his good old cop connections to send me away with a new name and new credentials. I bounced around for a bit, keeping in contact with Charlie via a burner phone and emails until good old Vicky took him as a consolation prize. Did I answer enough questions there, Jazzy?"

He stared at me, open-mouthed. I gave him time to process what I had just told him and watched his beautiful face cycle through every emotion possible like he was practicing for Broadway. Anger-guilt-anger-sadness-fury- Jesus, this man was cycling too fast for me to keep up.

"Edward left you in the forest. Alone." Jasper growled. "Then Laurent tried to kill you. Then Victoria came after you."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I think he's starting to get it." I deadpanned. "Did you get the rest too, or do you need another run through?"

"I got it." He was growling so much it was beginning to get hard to understand him, and I cast a glance his way only to see he was crouched like a cornered animal and almost frothing at the mouth.

"Hey Jass, you good there man?" He just kept growling. Shit. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, and they were so, so black. He looked feral, eyes wild and dark, teeth bared. God, I was so fucked.

I was so stupid. A phenomenal idiot. I had to have been repeatedly dropped on my head as a child because that's the only way I could explain why I was currently doing the incredibly brainless act of crawling towards a furious vampire. I slid off my bed and I slowly crawled over on my hands and knees, being careful to note the changes in his growls so I could slow down appropriately. He wasn't looking at me, he was looking at my front door and clearly fighting to urge to flee from this room. I checked my blinds. Shit, of course it was still sunny, that's what I get for living in Southern Cal. Well, I had to stop him somehow and so I just crawled right on between him and the door.

I really couldn't tell you why, it's not like I could stop him if he tried to get out, all this did was get me the attention of a _very_ angry vamp and I had no idea what to do with it. Whelp, in for a penny in for a pound. I looked into his inky black eyes and slowly placed my hand on his knee, and to my surprise, he quieted a little. Yes! We were getting somewhere, I might actually make it out of here alive. When I started rubbing soothing circles, the growls quieted even more and I pushed down a little to get him out of his crouch. He quickly obliged and moved into a seated position, but he did so at vampire speed which was really fucking scary as he was still pretty much frothing at the mouth, and it caused me to yank my hand back. He caught it and began growling much, much louder, but contact seemed to be helping him so I just placed my other hand on the arm holding mine, and resumed my soothing circles. Once again he quieted, and after a few minutes, he released my hand from his grip. I slowly slid beside him, dragging my hand up and over his arm as I went, until it rested in the middle of his back. He still hadn't broken eye contact with me, which meant I could very clearly see that I was interacting with Jasper the vampire and not Jasper the person. The inky black pools that were his eyes stared down at me, unwavering, and I resolved to close my eyes and just lean against him, unable to take the intensity any longer.

I don't know how long we sat like that. At some point, Jasper had stopped growling and I think I might've fallen asleep, and I was embarrassed to admit a part of me liked the contact. This was the most contact I had experienced since I left Forks, and I hadn't realized I missed the simple act of human (or I guess inhuman in this case) connection. God, I felt pathetic. I kind've was in a sense, I have spent so much time surviving I think I have lost my ability to actually live; to not just glide through life stuck in autopilot.

I felt a gust of air on my scalp. "Darlin' I don't know what to say. I want to tear my hair out because you could've easily gotten yourself killed with that misguided attempt to be heroic, but also, I really don't know what would've happened otherwise. All I know is that it sure as hell wouldn't have been good. I'm sorry I lost it like that, and I'm indebted to you for calmin' me down. But seriously, I truly don't know how you did that without gettin' yourself killed, I can't think of a time when someone approached me in that mode and I didn't tear their head right off their shoulders." Jasper quietly said.

The room had a sense of stilted peace to it. Like something wasn't quite right and I couldn't put my finger on it, but at the same time sitting here in the quiet with Jasper was really pleasant. I craved the companionship as well as the peaceful silence, as opposed to the oppressive silence I was used to. I realized I needed to respond to Jasper but I was loathe to break the strained peace that filled the room.

I did anyway. "Jass, it was my fault you got stuck like that, and so, of course, I saved you from doing something monumentally stupid. Thanks for not killing me by the way, that would've really sucked."

He let out a quiet laugh, and I could feel the accompanying vibration in his chest. "You're welcome darlin'. I'm really glad I didn't either." His eyes grew stormy again and his face turned stony. "I never would've left if I thought that would happen to you. I knew we should've taken care of the ginger bitch from the start, and I made a mistake by not sticking to my guns, and clearly you paid the price."

"Please. You hardly knew me back then. You hardly know me now. I was Edward's pet and probably just a nuisance at best and a threat to the family's safety at worst, I understand."

He smiled. "You know I almost killed you?" I raised an eyebrow, this was not new information. "Before you and Edward became… whatever you were, I determined you were a threat to the family. So I sat outside your window waiting for you to fall asleep so I could smother you with a pillow, but in the end, I just couldn't do it."

I let out a sharp exhale. "Wow. Honestly, I can't blame you, Edward brought me into your lives like it was nothing. He was so arrogant and juvenile he didn't consider the death sentence it carried with it."

Jasper nodded. "I think Carlisle knows Edward was changed too young, and he lets Edward get away with anything out of a misguided sense of atonement. Or, on the other hand, maybe Edward is just an arrogant prick and Carlisle is too docile to put his foot down. I really don't know, I vacillate between the two."

I sighed. "Yeah, me too."

"I'm sorry darlin' but I need to ask you some more questions about the stuff you said before I went rogue. Are you comfortable with that?" Jasper murmured.

I felt the weariness seep out of my bones and into my bloodstream. Jasper noticed and rubbed my arm and gave me a second to collect myself, and I was beyond grateful he was being so gentle. I really appreciated how he was approaching this like we had all the time in the world, and that the last thing I needed to do was rush.

"I'll try to answer them as best I can, but first you have to answer one of mine." He nodded. "Why did you get so upset earlier?"

He roughly ran a hand through his hair. "I was overcome with anger when you told me what he said to you and how he left you in the forest. You did nothing but care for him and he treated you like gum on the bottom of his shoe in return. And on top of that, he told us you ended things, and that you never wanted to see any of us ever again. He abandoned you in a forest, lied and slandered you to the family, and robbed you of any goodbyes. I can't help but feel this is my fault. You've suffered so much because of us."

I rolled my eyes. "Figures as much. The asshole would try and pin it on me." I sighed, "None of this is your fault. It was a shitty situation all around. You all thought you were doing what I wanted, and besides, like I said, you didn't even know me back then. Edward kept me away from you because he claimed you were too "uncontrolled" for me to be around, and so in my book, of the Cullens, you were the least at fault. Edward put you in danger by bringing me into your life, and the only time we really interacted was in Phoenix, so it wasn't like you had any obligation to me. The ones who called me family are a different story, especially Carlisle for an obvious plethora of reasons.

He nodded. "Unfortunately older does not necessarily mean wiser."

"Any more questions?" I inquired.

"Yeah, three. Do you want the hard one or the easier ones first?"

I thought about it for a moment and decided to just bite the bullet. "I'll take the harder one first."

"Would you tell me what happened to Charlie?" He asked softly.

"Yes, but I will not tell you all of it right now. I moved away from Forks at Charlie's insistence, and apparently, it really pissed Vicky off. But I was told not to worry, that the wolves had it under control. But Vicky changed a bunch of newborns and used them as a distraction so she could get to Charlie, and she tortured him to get to me. After she was done the wolves burned the house down to make it look like Charlie died in a fire, and in the process, let the bitch get away. Needless to say, we haven't talked since."

He let out a sharp exhale. "There's more to that story? Damn. Well, I'm sorry about your dad, I know you were close." I nodded my head in thanks. "I'm goin' to have to add another question: How in God's name are you able to tell that story without emotion? I couldn't feel anything off you."

I shot him a smile, and my bitterness was probably splashed all across my face. "I've had to learn to distance myself from my emotions in order to survive, and lots of trauma means lots of practice."

His red eyes looked understanding and a bit sad. Yeah well, I was sad too, but I really didn't get a choice in this.

"So, the shapeshifters are back at it again?" He asked.

"Yep. The Cullen's presence activated the wolf gene, and they started shifting again. Sam, Jake, Paul, and a handful of others had shifted by the time I left."

He scratched his chin looking thoughtful. "Interesting. I have a feeling that information will be useful in the future, but I don't really know what to do with it right now. Anyway, last question. Has anything happened with Vicky since then?"

"Yep. As far as I can tell she changes enough newborns to keep a steady stream of vamps hunting me down. Only two have gotten close, but they aren't a problem anymore." He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Remember that joke I made to Peter about torching him? James Bond taught me well."

"Holy shit darlin'! That's… impressive. I applaud your ingenuity. I'm- Well, I'm kind of at a loss for words. You really torched them? Why do I feel a hint of deception in that statement?" Jasper said, his face painted with surprise.

I laughed. "Well. I torched one on my own but had a friend help me with the other, because he had already torn the second one to bits on my behalf. However, he let me do the honors of lighting the bonfire. To be clear: these were two separate incidents."

Jasper looked even more startled. "You are fucking incredible darlin', that's impressive, and I can't even imagine what Peter and Char will say when they hear about that. Your threats will have more weight, that's for damn sure. And as for the other vampire, what the hell?"

"It's not my fault you stupid vamps can't leave me alone. I mean Jesus, does my forehead have a 'Free Meal!' tattoo?" I exclaimed. "Besides, of course I made other vamp friends, I am a god-damn _delight _to be around."

Jasper shook his head, smiling. "You're definitely something, that's for sure."


	6. New Digs

**Y'all are so kind. :) Literally: If you are reading this I love you, and I'm sorry this one is so short. I'm working on another chapter already, I just would rather update shorter chapters more regularly than longer chapters sporadically, if that makes sense. **

**That's all for today! Take us away cowboy!**

…

Chapter Six

_**New Digs**_

_Jasper:_

By the time Bella and I had finished our conversation, it was sufficiently dark outside for us to meet Peter and Char. Bella and I caught a cab to the hotel, and as I walked her through the front doors I realized she was radiating surprise.

"You good there darlin'?" I asked.

She looked around, dazed. "I guess I just forgot about how you vamps live, that's all."

I suddenly felt a bit guilty. Here I was casually bringing her into a rather upscale hotel, right after I saw the hell hole she was living in. It felt like some sort of bragging, and it gave me a horrible sense of deja vu. The Cullen's loved to show their wealth, and I hated it. I hated the designer shirts, the brand new cars, and all the negative emotions that came with them. Sure, Alice and Edward always felt smug but our vampire talents combined with our wealth just caused waves of jealousy and self-loathing through every group of teenagers we passed, especially in poorer towns like Forks. We were plentifully wealthy, (I should know, I managed the finances) but we never donated anything but our time to the communities we visited, and I always felt bad for rubbing our privilege in the face of disadvantaged, vulnerable people.

I snapped back to the present and realized we had been lingering a bit too long in the hotel lobby. I put my hand on the small of Bella's back and bent down to whisper in her ear. "It's actually a little much for me darlin', but it comes with some pretty great amenities. Amenities you are welcome to use at any given time."

A shiver went down her spine and she nodded. I used the hand on her back to usher her to the elevator, and once inside she asked, "Which floor?"

"Allow me darlin'." I whipped the keycard out from my jeans and inserted it into the slot above the rows of buttons.

"Oh it's a bit much for you, is it? The penthouse, really Jasper?" Bella said just as the elevator doors slid open.

I let out a chuckle. "Don't look at me it was all Peter's idea."

"That it was sweet pea! You think I'd skimp on a room I'm gonna spend fourteen hours a day in? Absolutely not! Plus, you gotta have J show you the jets in the bath." Peter exclaimed.

My hand, which had remained on Bella's back throughout the elevator ride ushered her into the room. She stood there, mouth agape, and looked at me with a stunned expression.

I grimaced, I probably should've prepared her more in the lobby. I looked around at the lavish suite and it was easy to see why she would be so overwhelmed. The main room was easily six times the size of her entire apartment, it's pristine white rug was placed perfectly over the dark walnut floor, and light brown walls radiated a very different aura than the damaged ones in her apartment. It also probably didn't help that in the background of the sofas and lounge area was a giant view of the city. The far wall was almost entirely windows, save for a sliding door that led to the balcony. There were bouquets of flowers on all of the end tables, and almost every corner was adorned with some sort of palm frond.

Bella took a cautious step further and turned her head. "Holy shit."

She looked beyond stunned, eyes wide and glazed, mouth agape. Peter started to cackle until he caught sight of me waving my hand in front of my neck in a slicing motion while shaking my head.

"She lives in a dump Peter, just let her have this without feeling ridiculed okay?" I said too low for human ears to hear.

Char appeared at Peters side and they both gave Bella's retreating form looks filled with pity, and I was suddenly very glad she had decided to go explore.

She walked through the living room and turned her head to see another, smaller version fit with a stocked bar and a TV. She shook her head and went through the other entryway.

"Oh my god, there's more?!" Bella shouted.

I turned the corner and followed her off into the kitchen. It housed two ovens and various other stainless steel appliances, as well as some gorgeous granite countertops I could easily picture Esme drooling over. They too were adorned with bouquets of tropical flowers as well as a plentiful fruit basket. Bella zeroed in on it and sifted through the fruit until she decided on what looked like a weird cross between a pear and an apple. Shit, I realized she hadn't eaten all day and I made a mental note to call room service. She took the apple-pear and peeled the sticker off, and proceeded to take a huge bite out of the side. I couldn't help but notice the juice that dribbled down her chin, juice that was quickly wiped away with a towel. I realized I was payin' a little too much attention to Bella's lips and I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"Explain to me why exactly I chose to stay at my dump of an apartment last night? Jesus Christ, this place is fucking fantastic!" Bella exclaimed.

"Wait until you see the bedroom!" Char shouted from the lounge.

"And the bathroom!" Peter added.

Bella looked at me excitedly, and I smiled as I walked her back into the lounge and this time into the smaller lounge. On each of the sidewalls, there was a door.

I waved her through the one on the left. "This one is ours sugar." I cringed. Ours? Why in the hell did I say it like that? If I wanted to flirt with the girl I could do way better than subtle-slightly awkward phrasing. But I didn't want to flirt with the girl. No siree. She was messed up to all hell and so was I, besides, the last thing I needed was the shit that went along with that. I was only having the impulse because she was attractive and I am going through a bit of a dry spell since the pixie.

I followed her through the doorway and heard her exclaim. "Jasper I am never, ever, ever going back to my apartment again holy shit!"

I let out a long laugh as I walked into Bella doing snow angels on the queen-sized mattress. "I'll pick up your stuff tonight darlin'."

She nodded. "Whatever we talk about tonight will dictate what I have you grab, so remind me to tell you what exactly I want later. Now cowboy, show me that damn bathroom!"

She rushed through the door. I followed her through at a rather lackadaisical pace and I almost tripped over her small form seated on the ground. She pulled me down to sit criss-cross applesauce beside her, and she held on to my arm for dear life.

"I want to live in this bathroom." She whispered as she looked to me with wide eyes.

"Seriously. Move the duvet and the bedding into the bathtub and I will sleep there. And you and Peter and Charlotte can just bring me food until I die, after living a long and blissful life in the bathroom of my dreams."

I laughed quietly. "Whatever you wish darlin'."

She leapt up. "Alright. Moments ruined. You got a little too Princess Bride-y there Westley."

She peeked into the obscenely large shower and explored the interior of the tub while I remained on the floor. After a few minutes, she seemed satisfied with her exploration and called out for Peter and Char to join us.

I felt a rough kick to the back of my head. "What the fuck are you doin' J?" Charlotte exclaimed. She was probably the one that tripped over me, Peter would've been much rougher.

"Testing y'all's reflexes," I responded dryly.

"Do you like the bathroom sug?" Charlotte inquired.

I snorted. "She said she wants to live in here and have us bring her food, so I would say yes, she likes it."

Bella colored. "Enough about that. What's the plan for the night vamps? What're we doing?"

"First off little lady, J wants to get you some food." Fucking knower. Peter continued, "So we are gonna order in and have a family meeting."

Bella raised her eyebrow. "I have known you for," She glanced at a clock on the wall, "Less than twenty-four hours. Family is a bit much buddy."

"Well sug-" Charlotte began.

"I'm going to try and be less blunt than this in the future spitfire, but right now my knower is blastin' all kinds of signals at me and it is makin' it a teensy bit hard to think. But the fact of the matter remains, you're with us until 'death do us part' whether that means changing or not." Bella blanched. "I'm sorry sweet pea. I know this is sudden, and I wish I knew how to do this better but I got a lot of stuff going on."

Charlotte dragged him down so they both sat on the edge of the bath, and started rubbing soothing motions on his arm "Peter, baby, take a minute."

I felt a wave of anger go through me as I looked at Bella's terrified face. Peter could have at least asked for some calm before going on his tirade. Nevertheless, I sent him some now and got a grateful look in return. I led Bella back into the main lounge and ordered her some room service. She was midway through her mac and cheese by the time Peter and Charlotte appeared in the room.

Bella jumped, and muttered, "Sorry, it's taking me a minute to get used to vamp speed again."

Peter looked better, but still pretty shit. He looked simultaneously stressed and exhausted, and I made sure to shoot him some more calm. Peter rarely got like this and I was starting to get worried. I'm more than thankful to be able to help a fellow Cullen reject, but I was starting to think bringing the brunette into our lives wasn't such a good idea. However, I glanced over at Bella and saw her small form devouring her mac and cheese while wrapped in a blanket while she splayed herself across the sofa, and I couldn't bring myself to regret or resent her presence.

I cleared my throat and all eyes went to me. "Alright Captain. Your steerin' this 'family meeting' ship."

Bella set her mac and cheese down and looked at Peter and drew a heart in the air. That got him to crack a smile and send a wink back, and I sent Bella a shot of gratitude for helping him loosen up. She sent a covert nod in my direction and looked to Peter for instructions.

Peter hopped over the back of the couch and plopped down in the middle as Charlotte gracefully walked around to sit beside him.

"Alright, kiddos. Earlier tonight I was worried that we wouldn't have much to dictate a timeline, and thus we wouldn't have much to talk about, but as always, karma bitch slapped me in return." He sighed out.

He started again, his eyes tortured. "I got one word for y'all: Newborns."

Bella laughed. "That's all? I've been dealin' with that for years."

I facepalmed, and Charlotte replied. "I don't think you know what you're talkin' about sug, but I think we all would appreciate less cockiness surrounding areas you know nothin' about."

I felt a flash of hurt from Bella, and she looked to me for direction. "Bella is woefully uninformed when it comes to the vampire world Charlotte, and I think we would all do best to remember that before we make snap judgments." Bella radiated another flash of hurt. "However, Bella is right, she has dealt with a few newborns while on her own."

I ordered an apple cobbler from room service and we spent the night filling the gang in on Bella's past and discussing where to go from here. Bella was adamant we stay here for at least a few weeks, firmly stating the newborns weren't a new problem and we could always run if necessary. Peter and Charlotte were reluctant to agree due to our shared past, but I think we could all tell that Bella couldn't be uprooted until absolutely necessary or else she would majorly flip her shit.

As for the past, I was happy to add two more members to the Light-The-Arrogant-Bastard-Up club. Peter and Charlotte both had to excuse themselves after that bit and came back with bright red eyes showcasing their destressing activities. They both felt immense pity for the way Bella's life had been thrown off course by the Cullen's and radiated hope for her future. After her hunt, Char moved over to sit with Bella, and she leaned against her during some of the more trying parts of her story. It was a very interesting environment to be a part of, both as an empath and as a regular vampire.

Peter and Char may have only known her for a day but she fit into our group dynamic so well that it was hard to believe she hadn't been here for decades. She gave perfectly timed snappy retorts to Peter's quips and had a similar banter with Char. She interacted with them both as if they were her God-Given family, and for some reason, it warmed my heart. I was incredibly glad that the same people who had supported me time and time again, even when I felt like an outcast, were beginning to do the same for Bella, and my eyes hardly ever left her as she interacted with the only family I had truly known in my vampire life. Bella and Char got on like sisters, and Peter was definitely beginning to take on a mischievous big brother role that vaguely reminded me of Emmett.

I managed to drag myself away from the scene in front of me to peel all of the linens off the bed and organize the piles of pillows and blankets into a makeshift bed at the bottom of the bathtub. After I made sure it was sufficiently warm, soft, and well-cushioned I walked back out to the living room to find Bella snoring on Charlotte's shoulder. I gently lifted her up tucked her into the tub-bed, before I went on my way to collect her belongings from her apartment.


	7. Back to the Grind

**I cannot believe all the wonderful feedback I am getting! It's wonderful for my self-esteem (and my motivation if I'm honest), and I'm so grateful. I'm glad y'all are liking it thus far, and I hope to keep it up. **

**Special shoutouts to ****_traceybuie _****who's read through/review session quite literally made my day, along with ****_Gaia the Reader_****. Seriously I was having a horrible day and y'all lifted me up. **

**Not that I don't care about each and every one of y'all's reviews though! Anonymous Girl's stood out to me as well, I really appreciated the detailed kind words about what you enjoyed thus far, and to answer her question for y'all:**

**I have no idea how often I will be updating. I have a notoriously shitty sense of time, so definites are tricky, but I plan on around once a week!**

**Also- this is a little bit early and a little bit longer than usual but try not to get used to it! (And it might be the fact that it's like one in the morning and I am no stranger to overthinking things, but I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little slow.)**

**Now let's get on with the show!**

…

Chapter Seven

**_Back to the Grind_**

_Bella:_

I woke up slowly, a rare phenomenon for me. I was warm, comfy, and beyond that, I was actually relaxed. I forgot how wonderful a good night's rest can feel, but hot damn was I enjoying it. I'd have to track down Jasper and thank him for the sleep juice, but right now, I was way too comfy for that. I'm fully aware that the mattress at my apartment is absolute garbage, but God, I was missing out on so much being dirt poor. This mattress was like sleeping on clouds while wrapped in a wonderful blanket burrito, or like being engulfed by a sea of the best fabrics the world had to offer. I decided to roll onto my back to stretch, but as I extended my arms, they hit something cold and hard. An odd material for a headboard, but who was I to judge the preferences of the wealthy. I finally gathered the strength to pry open my eyes but I must've still been half asleep because I swore I saw a bathroom fan above me.

What the fuck? I sat bolt upright and was greeted by the familiar sight of the bathroom of my dreams. Oh my God, that motherfucker actually put me in the bathtub! Almost the entire bathtub was lined with pillows and blankets, and the tub was so large I didn't even notice I was walled in. All in all, it was beyond comfortable, so I decided I couldn't be at all mad about it, especially because I asked for this in the first place.

I saw there were some folded clothes on the counter, and so I pried off yesterday's garments and changed into the outfit someone had so kindly laid on the counter. Judging by the folding, it was probably Charlotte, I couldn't imagine Peter or Jasper being able to justify spending the time to neatly fold my clothes and delicately place them on the counter. Matter of fact, I couldn't imagine Peter doing anything I could describe as "delicate", the man was like a human hurricane. Finally, I splashed some water on my face and raked my fingers through my hair until I deemed myself decent enough for the vamps. I don't know why I even bothered though, they could probably see each and every clogged pore on my skin. Oh God, they probably could. Shit. How gross would I look at that level of HD? I probably looked revolting through their eyes, but there was no helping it, and besides… I was starting to get hungry. Time to greet the vamps, and hopefully another delicious Asian pear from that massive fruit basket.

I walked out into the main lounge and didn't spy any vamps, so I went right on through to the kitchen. I reached the glorious fruit basket and watched with bated breath as I dug through looking for another funky pear. Oh hell yes, the basket had one! I rifled through it a bit more and was surprised at the diversity of the fruit I found. I've eaten ramen and fruit loops almost exclusively while on my own, (Hey, food is expensive.) and so this amount of exotic produce was like some sort of holy grail.

"If there are any bloodsuckers here, please make yourselves known!" I yelled.

No response. I shrugged and decided to continue my exploration of the basket. As I observed my surroundings, I spied a beautiful wooden cutting board displayed up on a shelf and decided that in the absence of vamps, I would feast on all the gorgeous fresh fruit at my disposal. However, there was one problem: there was no way in hell I would be able to reach that cutting board, even if I went on the very tips of my toes. Lucky for me, I had developed the tried and true method of climbing on counters to reach the ever-elusive upper shelves. This granite seemed stable enough so I had no problem with clambering up on it, and if it broke it's not like I would be paying the bill. Just as I rose to a standing position, I heard the ding of the elevator.

"Consider this us making ourselves known Little Bird! We come bringing gifts," shouted Peter.

"Is it all of you?" I responded, continuing on Mission Out of Reach.

"Yeah sug, the gang's all here," replied a voice, from right behind me.

"Jesus Christ!" I screeched. The scare had caused me to jump just enough that the back of my heel slid the perfect amount off the counter, leaving me flailing and falling backward.

Mission failed. I was caught by a pair of stony arms, and they knocked the wind right out of me. I looked up into Jasper's dark red eyes and gave him a very wheezy thanks as he winked and propped me back up.

"You good there Isa? What the hell just happened?" Peter walked in with plastic grocery bags in hand.

"Well-" I wheezed.

I coughed and took a breath. "Well, I was trying to get a cutting board so I could eat all that delicious juicy fruit over there," I pointed to the beautiful, glorious basket. "But then your wife appeared out of thin air and scared me half to death!"

Charlotte looked like she felt horrible, and all I could see between the hands covering her face was her furrowed brow. "I'm so sorry sug! I keep forgetting you're not used to our speed yet, and I didn't mean to frighten you."

I waved her off. "Oh no, it is totally okay Charlotte, I fall literally all the time. It really isn't a big deal, I was just giving Peter shit. I'm clumsy as hell, and I promise there will be no hard feelings so long as one of you people get me that fucking board."

None of the vamps made any move to get me the object of my desire.

I cocked an eyebrow. "I'll get back up there if I need to."

"Alrighty princess," Peter said, bowing to me.

A second later I held the board in my hands, and I glared at it. There were three distinctly different kinds of wood, and instead of forming a typical striped pattern the walnut had several small waves of maple and cherry throughout it. It was gorgeous, and probably hand made. Sometimes I feel like you can just touch something and feel the quality of it, and if that was true, this cutting board was definitely incredibly well made. I'd be lying if I said that an evil part of me didn't want to wreck it a bit.

I remembered where the silverware was from my mac and cheese last night, so I made my way over to the drawer and got out a knife. I quickly felt an icy hand circle my own, and a sharp bolt of electricity ran through me, making every single hair stand up on the back of my neck in anticipation.

"Sorry darlin'," Jasper drawled, almost directly, into my ear. A shiver ran up my spine, and I could feel his cold breath on my neck and cheek. "I may have better control now, but I'd rather not test it." I dropped the knife, and he took it, leaving his position behind me.

I braced my hands on the counter. Jesus Christ. Over the past few years, I haven't exactly had the opportunity to get close to someone. That's perfectly fine with me, I was definitely better off alone, however, there were fairly significant drawbacks. It made me really lonely at times, and I never really had any real human connection after I left Forks. That's why it was so nice to sit there and lean on Jasper yesterday, I got a little piece of the companionship I had been missing over the years. However, that was leaps and bounds away from simple companionship. I didn't want to unpack any of that right now though, so I simply dropped the knife and moved away.

"Could one of you just pick out a couple of fruits and cut them up for me? I don't know what time it is but I haven't eaten breakfast."

Jasper nodded and I walked to go to the lounge. Sitting on one of those couches is heavenly, and I needed some time to collect my thoughts. In between the scare, Jasper, and my probably very low blood sugar, I was feeling kind of scatterbrained. And it was because of this that once I walked into the lounge and I noticed a very familiar leafy plant, I thought I was hallucinating for a second.

"Jasper? Why is the plant from my apartment in the middle of the living room?" I yelled, knowing full well they could've heard me at a normal volume.

"You didn't ever tell me what to grab from your apartment, so I just went ahead and grabbed it all." He replied back, matching my pitch.

A felt a wave of relief knowing I wouldn't have to go back to my apartment again but at the same time an equal surge of fear. I really didn't like being tethered to anyone, let alone borderline strangers, but I was comforted by the fact that if this whole arrangement didn't end up working out, it would probably end with me dead. That thought triggered a quick laugh because it was just too sardonic not to be funny.

"What're you laughin' at sug?" Charlotte said as she tossed her long shimmering blonde hair over her shoulder. She held the plate of mouthwatering produce, and before she could even set the plate down, I was already snatching a piece of dragonfruit.

I took a bite. "Nothing important. Thanks for grabbing all my stuff, Jasper."

As I took another bite of the dalmatian patterned flesh of the dragonfruit, all three vampires sat on the couch across from me. They seemed content just giving each other short glances and staring at me, and it wasn't like I had anything to bring up, so I just sat and enjoyed my food.

A burning question forced its way into my head. "Who's idea was it to put me in the tub?"

Peter snickered and immediately pointed his finger directly at Jasper. Charlotte just laughed right along with him and nodded her head in agreement towards the man in question. Jasper just sat there, leaning on the arm of the sofa, smirking.

I laughed at the display. "Honestly, once I got over my confusion I thought it was hilarious, and I quite literally asked for it so..."

"See! I told y'all she would like it," Jasper said, waving his hands emphatically towards Peter and Charlotte.

"I was sure you were going to torch him for that Little Bird! I was lookin' forward to the show, but _no_, you just had to find it endearing." Peter sighed out, clearly disappointed at the lack of a spectacle.

"I gotta agree with Petey there sug, I was absolutely positive we were goin' see one helluva rage from you this mornin'. He put you to bed in a bathtub! How are you not madder?" Charlotte questioned, giving me an incredulous look.

"I can't get mad at Jasper for doing something I literally asked him to, even if I was half-joking at the time. It also doesn't hurt that the bed he made for me was comfy as hell, and the sleep juice he sent me?" I pinched my fingers together and gave an exaggerated chef's kiss.

Jasper looked incredibly smug, while Peter and Charlotte continued looking at me in disbelief. I just rolled my eyes and picked up a long slice of orange fruit. I slipped it all into my mouth and groaned. "What is this? It's fucking amazing."

Jasper's face lost it's smug look and shifted to surprise with a hint of something else I couldn't pinpoint, so I just looked at Peter and Char for an answer. Peter grinned and replied, "That would be papaya, Little Bird."

"Well, papaya is now officially my new favorite fruit." I practically inhaled the other slices. "Well vamps, I don't know what y'all got going on today but I'm going in to work at five. Considering its noon already, I only got a few hours before I got to get ready. Got any plans?"

"Nope, but hey, what about a movie?" Peter inquired. Immediately after I nodded, he appeared a moment later, DVD in hand.

"Oh honey I didn't see you grab Interview with a Vampire, you know I love that movie!" Charlotte squealed. She turned to me and winked. "Brad Pitt is such a hunk ain't he?" I laughed and we got settled in the smaller lounge to watch the film.

After it had wrapped up I went to go get ready for work. After I hunted down where Jasper put my clothes, I changed into my work attire: a simple black v-neck and some skinny jeans. After I put on some light makeup and braided my hair, I inspected myself in the mirror, and after fixing another couple little things I was ready to go. I walked out to the lounge and found Peter waiting for me on the couch, arms stretched over the back of the sofa.

"I've already gone and called you a cab, so don't worry about walkin' sweets." He smiled and tapped his temple, and after he stood up, be began fishing for something in his pocket. He pulled out a small black rectangle and handed it to me. "Here's a room key so you can get back in, and if you need anythin' I programmed our numbers into your little flip phone. Jasper's gone out huntin' but he wanted me to pass along his hopes for a fast and easy shift."

Charlotte glided into the room. "Leavin' already? Well sug, I hope you have an easy shift, and remember: if anyone gives you trouble, take a quick picture and we'll kill him lickety-split."

Charlotte gave me an exaggerated wink, and I laughed in response, although I wasn't entirely sure she was joking. It really didn't matter though because it warmed my heart just to know that for once, someone had my back, even if they were a little extreme.

"Alright, ladies, Little Bird's cab is out front." Charlotte turned gave a short but very sweet hug, and I felt my cheeks grow a bit red.

"See ya later sweet pea, and don't be surprised if you see some familiar faces durin' your shift, we might get bored and stop by," Peter said before giving me a big smile and ushering me out the door.

I nodded and gave them both a quick wave before making my journey to work. The cab ride was shorter than I expected it to be, and when it arrived out front of Larry's I tried to pay the cabby, but I was irritated, albeit unsurprised, to find that it was already paid for. As I walked in the front doors, I felt the warm gust of air blew over my skin, and closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of our token pub pretzels. So much has changed in the last few days, and it was really nice to have at least one constant.

I looked around and found Farah at her usual post, seating people at the host's station. I managed to catch her eyes and she flashed me a big smile before redirecting her attention to the elderly couple asking for a table. I made my way to the back and set my stuff in their usual place, and then got right to work. Stephanie was on again, and while she was a really sweet girl, she could be pretty ditzy. She always forgot to give her tables waters, and as I carried a tray of them to one such forgotten table, I had a strong wave of deja vu. I shook it off and continued helping out the other waitstaff. After all the little stuff was done, I headed to Farah to see if she had a section assignment for me.

She saw me coming from a mile away, and I could tell by the look in her eyes she had a full interrogation planned. She opened her mouth to begin, but I cut her off. "For the love of all that's good, I'll answer your questions if you at least wait until I slide into the host station before you begin your assault."

She rolled her eyes and I took a great deal of pleasure slowing my walk down to a crawl, inspecting the various chalkboard signs that lined the walls. "I can't remember the last time our soup was the tomato basil and roasted red pepper mix, which is a shame because it's always so good with the grilled cheese, don't you think?" Farah didn't bother to respond, and she looked incredibly unamused. I just smiled serenely in continued my sluggish pace. "Oh! And the dessert of the night is New York cheesecake. Did you let Polly make that?"

Farah shot me a glare and angrily responded, "Isa, I love you to bits, but if you don't get your cute ass over here in the next ten seconds, you're fired."

I laughed and cocked an eyebrow. "I'm like 90% sure that's illegal."

Farah continued giving me a fiery glare, but the corners of her lips twitched up into a smile. "Oh like you would take me to court."

I finally slid in next to her and shot her a grin. "You're right, I like your meddling self too much for that." Her face lost the angry mask immediately, and she began smiling so wide that it was as if the glare had never existed. She seemed unbelievably excited to have gained access to a small part of my past, and I felt a bit guilty that she had done so much for me and I'd never thought to throw her a bone on that front.

"It's question time!" She said in a sing-songy voice. I felt a flare of panic and it must've shown on my face because she immediately clarified. "Now, don't worry too much honey, I'm just going to ask you three and then you can head on back to work the bar with Isaac okay?" I nodded.

She clapped her hands. "Alright!" She pursed her cherry red lips and thought for a moment, twisting her ring in circles around her finger. "Well shit. You think your obnoxious walk over here would've given me some time to think of a few questions." I snorted and patiently waited for her to prepare her inquisition.

While she sat there contemplating her options, a gangly teenage boy with shaggy brown hair and an angular face walked up to the counter. He was about a head taller than me, and I noticed that behind him stood a cute girl with curly brown hair. I quickly cataloged her face, she had a button nose covered in freckles, and her upturned blue eyes were constantly roaming the room as she gnawed on her lip. I looked back to the nervous boy and smiled warmly as he grew bright red and stuttered out a request for a table for two, and I made friendly small talk as I showed them to their table. Once they were seated they seemed a bit more at ease, and I pretended not to take notice of the way he not-so-subtly grabbed her hand beneath the table. I grinned and turned away from the blushing couple. Ah, to be two normal teenagers in love.

By the time I returned Farah was eager to begin. "Okay, now I'm ready. Question one: You said Jasper was linked to a bad chunk of your past but it wasn't his fault, so is he a good guy or not?" I furrowed my brow and shot her a confused look. She rolled her eyes and explained, "You know, was he a good or bad guy in all this?"

I nodded my head in understanding. "Jasper was more of a neutral guy honestly. I really didn't know him very well at all, and aside from us both having front row seats to the major shitshow that involving us both, we really didn't talk much. However, that being said, whenever we did interact he was always incredibly kind."

She seemed satisfied with my response so she clapped her hands and continued. "Alright then, next question: How did the catch-up session go? Did you actually let someone help you for once?"

"That's two questions." I deadpanned.

She scoffed. "You're ridiculous. It's one question, two parts. Now spill."

I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes. "Yeah. I kinda did." She gave me an incredulous look and emphatically gestured for me to continue. I pinched the bridge of my nose and begrudgingly continued, "I told them about what has happened since Jasper and I last saw each other and got some other stuff off my chest."

She shook her fist in the air and smiled. "Hell yeah! I thought it would be snowing in Hell before you let someone help you vent all that stuff you've got bottled up." Her face grew more serious. "I wish it could've been me," I tried to object but she waved me off. "Hey now, I understand why it couldn't be. I just am beyond happy you finally found a support system to lean on."

"Thanks, Farah, that means more than you know," I whispered, and she simply nodded in response. Farah was genuinely one of the most selfless people I had ever met, and I was beyond grateful for her presence in my life. She and Ike made my shitty life worth living, and I felt a strong pang in my chest when I thought of how I'd eventually have to leave them behind. A lump began forming in my throat, and tears started pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I managed to clear my throat and get ahold of myself.

After our little moment was over, she hummed softly, and her eyes held a new glint to them. "Alright Iz, last question before you go running on back to Ike. When are you going to get with him?"

I spluttered, choking on air. "Excuse me?!"

"Don't play dumb, you'd have to be Helen Keller herself not realize that whole family is about as attractive as they come. And Jasper has that gorgeous long blonde hair and, oh God, don't even get me started on that Texas drawl. It literally sounds like the sound equivalent of warm, sweet, honey! And you guys have a shared past, not to mention you actually trust the guy, which is a rarity in itself-"

I rushed to cut her off. "Woah, woah, woah there! Someone's getting a bit ahead of herself. You sure you aren't just trying to ditch Eric before the wedding?"

She played with the rock on her finger and rolled her eyes. "Don't you worry Iz, the wedding is still on, so get ready for your very own taffeta gown!" I cringed at the reminder and she continued, "And once again, I'm taken, not blind. Now stop dodging the question."

I groaned. "Yes, I do in fact know he's hot as hell. No, I don't plan to get with him. We've only just reconnected, and you know more than anyone how dangerous it is for people to be in my life. Besides, he used to date my best friend at the time, and that's far from the only relationship that would throw a wrench in things."

She clicked her tongue and shook her head vigorously, causing her hair to bounce aggressively with every back and forth motion. "Nuh-uh, those are all just shitty excuses. From the way you talk about it, your _former _best friend is no longer in the picture and whatever other 'complicated' relationships you mentioned are too. I'm not saying you have to jump his bones tomorrow, but at least leave the option open, because he's handsome, charming, and he seems to actually care about you. Don't throw away the chance of a lifetime because of some shitty people from your past."

I knew I was beet red at this point, and I just prayed that the vamps didn't make the decision to drop by tonight. The worst part about this whole conversation is that Farah was actually making some good points; she was totally right about how the Cullens should no longer be a factor of my decision-making process.

"Okay, okay, for you, I promise I'll keep an open mind." I reluctantly replied.

She squealed. "Amazing! Now feel free to flee to the safety of the bar." I turned on my heel and immediately started doing exactly that, but not before scanning all the seating for my three blonde vamps. Thank God, we were in the clear.

"Thanks for chatting with me Iz!" Farah sweetly yelled at my rapidly retreating form.

I managed to slip behind the bar next to Ike without him even noticing, which was really unusual, and it wasn't even that busy for a Saturday. He seemed to be very forcefully muddling some ginger and mint in preparation for a Moscow Mule, and his face was etched with irritation.

"Woah there Ike, take it easy, what did that muddler ever do to you?" I joked, putting a hand on his arm.

He put the muddler down and set his elbows on the bartop, resting his head in his hands. "Hey, Isa."

I was taken aback. "What, have I done something to lose my nickname privileges?" I always preferred nicknames to whatever fake one I was using at the time, it just made everything seem more real, and it was nice to not be reminded of all the monsters looming on the horizon. When I first met him, I was in a pretty dark place and Ike made it his own personal mission to make me smile, and the nicknames were a little remnant of that time. He was another one of the things that kept me going, and while I was beginning to get really worried I had done something to upset him, I left my panic to build in order to give him the room to collect his thoughts. He'd talk when he was ready.

I took the over the reins when it came to the Mule and I served it to a brunette lady with a beauty mark above her lip who sat with a man with salt and pepper grey hair and a hooked nose. When I returned Ike seemed to have calmed a bit, and he sent me an apologetic look.

"Hey hot stuff, sorry for losing it earlier. I'm just having a shitty day and I took it out on you." He said, looking contrite.

My panic instantly dissipated and was just as quickly replaced by concern. "Hey, no worries, it happens to the best of us. Let me serve that guy on the end and then you can tell me what's up, okay?"

"Absolutely not." I felt a flash of hurt at his firm tone and sent him a look of confusion. "Oh no, Iz, I just meant I'll be the one serving that fine gentleman in the corner."

I grew even more confused until I took a good look at the larger man who sat in the corner. He had puffed, round cheeks, and dark beady eyes. I drew my eyes away from his face just as his thin lips twisted into a lewd smile in my direction and found the crown jewel of this creep's look: he was wearing a "Booty Hunter" flat-billed cap.

I looked at Ike and nodded aggressively. "That sounds like the best idea I have ever heard."

He laughed, and as he turned away he responded, "What you don't want to serve some watery beer to a man dressed so classy?"

After he took care of the leering man in the corner, he very obviously placed his large, muscular body in just the right spot to completely block the booty hunter's view of me. I folded my hands together like they were in prayer and I shook them at Ike with a strongly whispered thanks. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright big guy. What's got your panties in a twist tonight?" I inquired.

He gave me the world's most drawn-out sigh, and muttered, "Atty and I got in a fight."

Careful to keep my voice at a whisper, I responded. "Oh my God, that's what's got you in such a sour mood?! You guys do that like three times a week, it's basically the whole foundation of your relationship. One of you picks a fight about something stupid, and then you bicker for a few hours until you have great makeup sex. The end."

He raked a hand over his face. "It was a real fight this time, he wants us to have dinner with his family."

Well shit. From what I had gathered, Ike and Atticus had a pretty rough go of it growing up, and if Atticus' parents were involved, it means tensions were pretty high back home for Ike.

"Oh, Jesus Ike, that's rough. Can I do anything?" I was at a loss. I had absolutely no idea how to be comforting. From the bits and pieces of information I had collected over the years, I knew this was connected to some pretty ugly events from Ike's past, and I really didn't know how I could make it better.

He grunted. "I just don't understand why he wants to sit down for a meal with them like nothing ever happened! God, when they cut ties with him he was destroyed Isa. Destroyed! And now he's willing to pretend like it never happened, and for what?" He whisper yelled back.

I felt terrible for Ike, but I could also sympathize with Atticus. They were his parents, and I'm sure he needed to give them at least one more shot just so he could sleep at night, and when I relayed that to Ike he deflated like a balloon with a pin in it.

"Shit, I didn't think about it like that, I just don't want him to get hurt again." He muttered.

"I know babes, but you've gotta support him no matter what," I whispered back.

He let that sink in for a bit, and I took that as an indicator that the conversation was done. I felt so bad for Ike, I couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to deal with that kind of thing. The world was getting more and more progressive, but even now in 2010, we still couldn't talk about his love life at a normal volume in public for fear of dangerous consequences. God, human beings are the worst.

I asked Farah if it was alright for Ike to go home early if I covered the bar, and she saw no problem with it, so I sent him on his way. The creepy guy was gone, and the brunette that ordered the Moscow Mule sitting with the man with the hooked nose were pretty much the only customers at the bar beside a group of couples in the corner. All in all, it was a pretty slow night, but when it was finally time to close, I was exhausted. I grabbed my things from the back and dug through my pockets for my cheap flip phone.

I dialed Peter, but before I could even get a word in he said, "Hey Little Bird, the cab is already out front."

"Peter I love you so much right now," I responded.

He laughed. "I know. Now get home nice and quick so Jasper and Charlotte can stop worrying."

I had no idea what that meant, but I gave Peter a quick send-off and clambered into the cab, more than a little ready for the hotel bed that awaited me.


	8. All Work And No Play

**Hey babes! I'm back at it again, and I'm writing this almost immediately after my last chapter. I've seen a few of y'all's reviews already and they are warming my heart as always. **

**I wanted to clarify for Anonymous Girl: This story is set in the middle of 2010, and if I've done my math right (which it is VERY possible I have not), it's only ~4 ½ years after her the events of her 18th birthday. Also, I wanted to say that I love the effort you put into your reviews, they're amazing. **

**However, I love any and all reviews I get (literally any of y'all's feedback makes my day), and I still find myself incredibly surprised that people are actually reading this, so thanks for everyone who is taking the time to listen to me ramble. **

**Let's get on with it!**

…

**Chapter Eight**

_**All Work and No Play**_

_**Jasper:**_

Three weeks had passed since Bella and I had our little "reunion" if you could even call it that. She had grown pretty comfortable living with us, and we'd all formed a nice little routine. Bella was a bit of a workaholic, and she had shifts almost every night. She often pulled doubles on the weekends too, but I got a feeling all these shifts were just an excuse to spend time with her Larry's family before they inevitably had to part. When Bella was busy working herself to the bone, we vamps hunted and worked on other various pet projects to keep us busy. Peter was trying to fix up a couple of our properties in case we needed a few human-friendly safe houses, and while I was grateful for all the preparation, thinking about the circumstances that would lead us to need them made my stomach turn.

As for Char, while Bella was away she worked on learning how to cook human meals. It was rather sweet, watching her slave away in the kitchen desperately trying to follow along to a random cooking show to make something edible. She was honestly quite good at it, her vampire senses made her excellent at getting the perfect measurements for her ingredients. However, she was not infallible. At the beginning of Char's venture, she decided to make Bella a plate of spaghetti. She timed it perfectly so that it was ready just in time for Bella's return from a particularly long shift, and Bella was beyond grateful. It did not go as planned however, because Char had done most of the seasoning after the dish was complete, and without a recipe to guide her, she was quite lost. She apparently completely nuked it with salt, and Bella, wanting to show how thankful she was for the meal, ate the entire thing. I was out hunting at the time, so I, unfortunately, missed watching her choke it down, but I came back just in time to watch her spring up from the couch and run to the bathroom. After a night spent retching, Char and Bella mutually agreed to let her take care of the more precise seasoning from then on. After that unfortunate incident, everything went quite smoothly, and Bella was delighted at the diversity of food at her disposal.

Bella and I often had little talks when Peter and Char were out and about, and one night as I was sitting with Bella in front of the fireplace watching her scarf down a slice of cheesecake, she confided in me that she had maintained a pretty shit diet while on her own. She apparently ate the same low-quality foods over and over, and while I hadn't eaten human food in over a hundred years, I could understand how eating the same food over and over could drive you a bit crazy. Sometimes Carlisle would order the family to completely abstain from predators in order to preserve their numbers, and eating only deer for weeks on end certainly tested my control. To put it bluntly, with me being angry and thirsty in a house of other frustrated, thirsty vampires who were testing my already flimsy control, it was a miracle there wasn't a massacre. Which is why I continually encouraged Char to expand her horizons and try some new cultural dishes.

When Bella was at work I mostly continued my work on a yet another book about the Civil War, because what could I say, I had a preference for it. I also plotted to approach Bella about cutting back on her hours because the girl was running herself ragged. More often than not she passed out during our little talks, leaving me to carry her back to sleep, and I was always a bit sad that we couldn't continue, Bella had turned into an intriguing, kickass woman.

I was snapped out of my contemplation by the ding of the elevator, and I migrated into the lounge to greet an undoubtedly exhausted Bella. The doors opened and I immediately recognised it to be Charlotte. She had her long blonde hair braided and as she stepped out of the elevator, she tossed her sunglasses in the growing pile of them on the table nearest to the door. She was holding a large stack of Gatorade, and she awkwardly propped it on her hip to pin me with a cocky gaze.

She smirked at me. "Expectin' someone else, Jasper?

I rolled my eyes and replied, "Yes, but I just wanted to make sure Bella didn't pass out on the floor from exhaustion on her way in."

"Whatever sug, I see the way you look at each other and don't think for a second she hasn't told me all about your little talks."

I sighed. "Char, there's nothin' there," She aggressively rolled her eyes. "And besides, even if there was, pursuin' it would open up a whole can of worms we don't need."

She snorted. "If anythin' I'm sure that makes you just want her more. You've always liked a challenge, and isn't there some sorta sayin' about how 'you always want whatcha can't have'?"

I shot her a healthy dose of irritation, I was rapidly growing tired of this conversation. "Yeah, yeah, I'm not goin' to change your mind so let's move on, shall we? Where's Pete?" I said as I followed Charlotte into the kitchen.

She set the massive pile of Gatorade down on the counter. "He's takin' a call from one of the construction teams on the cabin in Canada." She fussed with her hands. "I think the clocks startin' to tick down and it's makin' him nervous."

That was news to me, I'd have to ask him about that later. A wave of nerves washed through me as I thought of all the things that could go wrong in the process of gettin' rid of Victoria, and how it would impact Bella's safety.

I must've been projecting because Char shot me a glance filled with affection and said, "Don't spend too much time worrying J, we'll worry when there's something to worry about."

I nodded. "What's the deal with all the Gatorade?"

Charlotte shrugged and replied, "I have no idea. Peter just said we'd need some, and I have learned to blindly trust that man on this type of small task."

Charlotte got started on Bella's dinner, which looked like some kind of pasta, while I eyed the Gatorade suspiciously. All of a sudden I heard the elevator ding, and once again I turned to walk into the lounge.

However, I was interrupted by a gleeful shout. "Don't go gettin' excited there Jazzy, I'm not the pretty one you want to see."

Charlotte snickered behind me and Peter quickly pranced into the kitchen with a glint in his eye. "Seriously, when are y'all goin' to address that?"

I growled. "For the last time, there is nothin' there to address."

They both snorted. In unison. I rolled my eyes and resigned myself to sitting back on the couch in the lounge. Once I was seated, I resumed my contemplation.

There really was nothing there. Sure, Bella was incredibly attractive, but I hadn't been with anyone since Alice, and I'm sure the attraction was just a side effect of that. I enjoyed talking to her, she made life a little bit more interesting, and it was nice to have someone to gripe about the Cullens about, someone who was actually there to deal with their oftentimes insufferable attitudes.

My pocket started to vibrate, and I dug my phone out of my pocket. Rosalie was calling, and I hadn't talked to her for a few weeks and a glance at the clock told me Bella probably wouldn't be home for another half an hour. The sun had dipped below the horizon, so I flipped open the phone and headed for the balcony.

"How ya doin' there Roe?"

"_Jasper it's been almost four months since we last talked. Why haven't you called me to check-in?" _She sounded a bit hurt.

"Hey, you haven't called either. I've just been busy travellin' with Peter and Char, and you know how fast life goes when you're on the move."

"_Maybe Em and I can join y'all for a bit, we're getting a bit stir crazy. Esme and Carlisle just spend their time pining after Edward or trying in vain to get him to return, and Alice is being… Well, she's going through something, I won't go into it." _

Interesting. I had been paranoid about her sneaking a peak at either me or Bella regardless of her promises not to, but hopefully, she was too sidetracked to be her usual manipulative self.

"Can you hold off a bit more? We're wrappin' up a circuit and then we're plannin' to head back to the house in Oregon for a brief break from all the transience. You could meet up with us there? I don't know exactly how long that will be in the future though, Pete can be a bit of a wildcard."

She sighed. "_That sounds nice, I miss the Pacific Northwest. That stupid girl has ruined the house in Forks for a good century, if not permanently because the 'memories are too painful'. Breaking up the family was one thing, but Jasper I loved that house so much."_

I laughed. "Roe, you're lookin' at this all wrong, this is an opportunity for you. Ask Carlisle about buying the house off him, then you and Em can still use it as a vacation home, and that way you keep the house and have the added benefit of enjoying it without the rest of the Cullen clan."

She whistled. "_See Jasper, this is why you have to call me more, you are just full of excellent ideas. Em's out hunting right now, but I guarantee he will want to give you a ring for that little tidbit. God, I literally cannot believe I didn't think of that, I owe you one Jas." _

I could hear the smile in her voice, and I realised how much I had missed our catch-up sessions. "You know me, I am always here to help." I drummed my fingers on the balcony railing and looked out at the bustling city. "It's been lovely dear sister, but I think I must be goin', Peter's got plans for our next adventure."

She hummed quietly. "_I like hearing your accent again, it suits you. I was always a bit pissed at how Alice trained you out of it, and I'm very pleased to hear it made a return. Okay, I guess I'll let you go, but you have to promise to call more and to pick up when Em calls you later too. He misses you too Jasper."_

"I promise, and I'm glad to hear you like my accent's reappearance, it's makin' me feel more like me again. But seriously sweetheart, I gotta get a-goin'." I said, making sure to make the drawl extra prominent to finish everything off.

She laughed. "_Alright, bye Jasper. Take care of yourself."_

"I will and you should too. Bye Roe." I clicked the phone shut and turned to head back inside.

Peter was waiting in the lounge. "So… what're we goin' to do about the blonde and the bear?"

I shrugged. "Hold 'em off and bide our time."

The elevator dinged, and when the doors opened there Bella stood. Well, slumped was probably more accurate. She stumbled to the couch and plopped down with a long sigh. Charlotte entered the room with a white sauce pasta and set it on the coffee table, completing what had become the usual routine.

"How was work sug?" She asked, as per usual.

"It was fucking long." Bella sat up and began devouring her pasta. In between two mouthfuls, she managed to speak, "Char, I don't know how you knew that I loved fettuccine alfredo, but I am not going to question your magical ways. I bow down to your supreme cooking powers, this is amazing."

Charlotte laughed, and I'm positive if she were human she would be blushing. "Oh sug, you are exaggeratin' again."

Bella shook her head vigorously and Peter snaked an arm around his wife's waist, looking between the two women with a fond gaze. "Well, I'm sorry your shift was tough Little Bird, but now that we can see you're safe and sound, you all know what time it is: Peter and Char's special alone time." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively and dragged Char to the elevator.

As the doors closed he shouted, "Bye kids! Don't do anythin' I wouldn't do!"

The elevator doors shut, and I turned to Bella, who was already midway through her alfredo and showing no signs of stopping. I knew if I was going to try and convince her to cut down her hours now would be the time, but I knew that this would probably lead nowhere good, and I was not looking forward to missing out on one of our talks.

However, this was for her own good, so I just had to bite the bullet. "Hey darlin', I've been thinkin'-"

She snorted. "Oh really cowboy? I wasn't aware you could do that."

I rolled my eyes and took a breath to continue, this wasn't the time for banter. She'd probably end up being actually mad at me very quickly, and I just wanted to get it over with. "Ha, ha, very funny. But seriously, I've been thinkin' and maybe you need to think about cuttin' back on your hours." She opened her mouth to interrupt me, eyes blazing, and I rushed to continue. "Hold your horses there darlin', I'm not tryin' to trap you, nor am I sayin' it's time for you to quit your job completely, I just can see how tired you've been lately, and I think so much work is takin' its toll."

She deflated a bit, but the fire in her eyes remained. "I'll take that under advisement."

I sighed. "I'm just tryin' to look out for you darlin'."

"Yeah, well, I've managed pretty well on my own." She snapped back.

I scrubbed a hand over my face and reached for her now, clear plate, and stood to take it to the kitchen. However, I was startled by a warm hand shooting out and wrapping around my wrist.

"Jasper-"

She let go of my wrist and I turned and walked towards the kitchen. I heard the pad of footsteps behind me, my plan had been to give her some time to cool off, but she seemed determined to put this to bed. That brought a little bit of a smile to my face, she seemed to dislike the tension as much as I did, and maybe she understood I was probably right.

"Look J," I cocked an eyebrow at the nickname, but my back was turned as I scrubbed her plate. "I know you have my best interests at heart, and I'm sorry I'm still so touchy with that kind of thing. I never really had to get over the fact that I have some sort of vendetta against constructive criticism, and that baggage rather clearly showed itself in that conversation."

I snorted as I put away the dish, and she rolled her eyes but continued, "I know I'm kind of wiped when I come home, but at work, it really isn't so bad. At the beginning of this whole thing, Peter mentioned you guys coming down to see me work, but none of you ever did." She wrung her hands. "I know I probably have you to thank for that, but maybe it isn't such a bad idea for you guys to stop by, maybe it would set your worries straight."

I nodded. "Okay. We'll stop by tomorrow night."

She shot me a startled glance. "When did I say I was working tomorrow?"

"You didn't. You just work too fuckin' much, so it's a pretty safe bet." I replied.

"Oh, _whatever_."


	9. Yeah, I Should've Taken The Day Off

**Hey y'all, hope you guys are staying safe.**

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in my normal once a week fashion. This is due to some COVID related disfunction, but now I am officially on self-imposed social isolation/quarantine so I might be updating this more than usual.**

**As always your reviews literally make my day, hearing y'all's reactions/thoughts/feelings/predictions is wonderful, and I love every last one. Those notifications really make me smile. :)**

**And I hope you are all staying safe and practising social isolation, stay healthy folks!**

**Time to get going!**

…

Chapter Nine

_**Yeah, I Should've Taken The Day Off.**_

_**Bella:**_

I am so fucked.

"Oh just stop by," I had said.

"I'm fine, you'll see," I had said.

Well, I had no idea when my vamps were showing up, and that was kind of a problem considering there wasn't an empty seat in the house. Actually that might work to my favour, maybe Farah will turn them away and then I won't have to be scolded by my self-appointed guardians. I shouldn't be so harsh, I am just so stressed right now. I was actually starting to believe I maybe should cut down on my hours as Jasper suggested, but I would never ever breath even a word of that to him. Sure, the man may think he has a hell of a poker face, but I've gotten to a point where I can discern those pesky little microexpressions that play across his features. And even if I wasn't at that point, he had loosened up enough that I'm sure I would be able to see his smugness full force. His eyes would crinkle at the corners and he'd do that stupid "Of course I'm right." eyebrow raise and just sit there with a little smirk on his face and then I would just have to take it. their table.

I focused back on my problem. Okay, so maybe I would be fine. I was just picking up slack tonight, and it was looking like I was going to be able to join Ike at the bar here soon, so clearly I had nothing to worry about.

I delivered the sodas but as I turned towards the kitchen but a familiar face was blocking my path.

"Iz, what the fuck are you doing here?! I told you to take time off for God's sake!" Farah exclaimed.

I opened my mouth to reply but Farah held up a hand and continued, "Look, I don't know what is going on with you but you need to cut back on your hours honey. We had this talk already, but that was me speaking as your friend. Now let me repeat it, but as your boss: Take some fucking time off. You maxed out your hours so I'm not even paying you to hang around here, and I'm seriously getting worried about you. You know I love seeing your beautiful face around here, but this is crazy! If you didn't look so much better now than you did a couple months ago I would ask you if Jasper and his family were treating you alright."

I sighed. "I know. I'm going to cut back on my hours after tonight."

She waved her hands emphatically. "Cut back? No sweetheart you are taking some serious time off. But seriously girl, spill, what's been going on with you?"

"Well, Farah, honestly? I am just starting to realise that I'm not going to be working here forever and that I'm probably going to have to move on in less than a year, and I'm fucking terrified. I never thought this was going to be a forever spot for me, but you and Ike and everyone have become like family to me, and I don't want to lose you. You're kind of the only family I got." Shit, shit, shit, that was way more information than I meant to share.

Her eyes softened. "Aw, Iz, you can't get rid of us that easy. Even if you have to pull a disappearing act we can still keep in contact through burner phones and fake emails or something. I really don't know how this witness protection type stuff works, but you damn well better teach me so we can keep in contact."

A spark of hope flared in my chest. That could actually work, both Farah and Ike knew enough about my past, so they wouldn't think anything of me being unable to see them. I'd have to talk it over with the crew, but it was looking up. I said thanks to Farah for comforting me and went back to my usual duties.

My other duties took longer than I thought, but an hour or so later I had done everything even remotely necessary, so I finally allowed myself to kick it around with Ike. I pranced up to the sprawling bar and saw that not unlike the rest of the restaurant, every chair was filled. Ike looked stressed as hell, shaking a drink in each hand, and it appeared I had come over not a moment too soon.

"Hey, handsome!" His eyes snapped up to mine and a look of pure relief spread across his face, followed by a massive grin.

He shook his head and painted a frown on his face, but I could easily see through it to the joy he really felt. "Iz, what the hell are you doing? I texted you and told you to stay home tonight."

"Yeah, well, looked at how that turned out," I said as I slid in beside him.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well, while you're here, could you pour three Coors for the guys in the corner and make two lemon drops for Candace to pick up?"

I nodded and turned around to grab the triple sec to begin the lemon drops. "You have to admit, it's nice having me here."

He shot me a glare. "It's always nice having you here, it's just a matter of whether or not it is healthy for it to be happening as often as it has been. Stephanie told me you've also been working the nights I don't, which is absolutely insane Iz.

"Look, Farah already got to me about working too much, I have my reasons."

I filled him in, quietly, about the whole "The Impending Future is Scary and I Don't Know How to Talk About My Problems" thing and wrapped up the lemon drops. He was pretty understanding and said as much as Farah, but not without castigating me a bit first for suffering silently. I agreed and promised to try and be more open, and then promptly put a stop to the "Chick Flick" talk. I readied the beers and made my way over to the gentleman in the corner.

I was unfortunately greeted by some whistles.

"Well woulda looky here! An angel seems to be bringin' us our beers today!" Whooped a man in a (you guessed it) flat-billed cap. He had a strong nose and a seemingly absent jawline, and when he was done he snickered and lightly punched the skin and bones man to his left.

I grit my teeth and handed them their beers. Ike usually took these customers after a particularly bad occasion that ended with a close call on my walk home, but he must've been too swamped to notice. It's fine, it's not like I didn't have experience dealing with drunk middle-aged men.

These guys were pretty unsettling though, Mr. "Where in the World is My Jaw Line" was of average build, with a shaggy beard, but the man to his left was borderline emaciated, and his muddy brown hair and grey eyes were off somehow. He kept scratching his neck obsessively, and kept twitching and darting his eyes around the room. My guess was copious drug use, and I made sure to keep my eyes on him at all times. The final man had faded dyed hair that looked like it used to be blue and empty brown eyes. He looked relatively normal except for the cold, flat, brown eyes. And look, I knew empty brown eyes (Hello, I had a pair myself!) but these were off like something had broken loose in his brain and he was running on the pain of others. Okay so, that might've been too harsh, but it was eerily similar to the look I had seen on James' face so long ago, and I was not looking to engage with them any more.

I turned to head back to Ike, and I heard more whoops and whistles. I jumped when I felt a massive wave of anger slam into my chest and I clenched my fists on the bar top counter and raised my head to look for the handsome blonde I knew was responsible. God, I was having trouble maintaining my composure, Jasper's new diet had definitely improved his influence. I quickly spotted my vamps in a booth that was, predictably, in direct line of sight to the bar, and none of them looked too happy. Peter and Charlotte both looked like they were gearing up for a fight, and when I turned to Jasper the look of pure fury on his face made even me feel a trickle of fear. His eyes snapped to mine and immediately softened, and the anger evaporated from the room just as fast as it had entered it. He sent me a wave of apology, and I shook my head. I turned to Peter and Char and waved sheepishly. All three vamps had shifted their face's into identical expressions: eyebrow cocked with their mouth in a firm line. Peter was resting his head against a very tightly clenched fist, Char had her arms crossed, and Jasper had his hands balled into fists at his side. It was kind of funny actually, they all looked like they had sat in the mirror and planned this pose because it looked like a poster for a very strange action movie.

Jasper had clearly felt my humour and arched his eyebrow even higher while simultaneously unclenching his fists. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Ike, if they weren't going to respond to my wave with anything other than disapproving looks, then I wasn't going to go say hello.

"Jasper and his family look overjoyed at that little display." Ike ventured.

I nodded. "Yeah, and that wasn't even that bad. Disgusting, but not horrible."

Ike grabbed my shoulders and spun me to the other side of him, and bent down to whisper in my ear. "I was about to jump in myself Iz. I know you can handle yourself but those guys seem pretty seedy."

Grateful that he moved me away from tonight's class act, I resumed the Vodka Cran I had started. "You know I love you, but I have to say, men are pigs."

Ike widened his eyes and vigorously nodded, and a voice at the other end of the bar let out a comically loud amen. I turned and saw it was Farah, so I served the drink I was working on and went over to check-in.

She bit her lip. "Are you okay? That display was pretty loud."

"Ugh, it was gross but I'll survive, it's not like I'm made out of fine china."

She nodded and drummed her long fingers against the counter. "You know, I came over here for a reason. But I don't think I could remember it to save my life."

"Ugh," I exclaimed, "I can't stand it when that happens. What were you doing before this?"

She knocked her fist against her head. "I yelled at Stephanie because she forgot the waters again," I nodded, this was a common problem. "Then I told the kitchen to remake Mrs. Goldberg's crabcakes," This too was a frequent occurrence. "Oh! Then I sat your friends. God that sounds weird, like a foreign phrase."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't think I won't jump across this bar to teach you a lesson."

"Whatever. You weigh ninety pounds soaking wet and I'm 5'11, I'd like to see you try."

"Hey! What I don't have in body mass I make up with my spitfire attitude."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say. Anyway, your Sent-From-God-Himself friends are seated over there," She pointed at the table, and Peter gave an exaggerated wave. She turned back to me, "God, it's like they can hear me." Behind her back, Charlotte slapped his arm, and his hand immediately dropped. "Anyway Iz, nice chattin' with you but I spy with my little eye no waters at table 11 still, so I gotta run. The second the clock hits one I want you outta here, and don't try to pull anything, after dealing with Stephanie I'm going to tell Jasper to drag you outta here if he has too."

"Rude!" I shouted, but she just laughed and walked away.

I walked back over to Ike, and he shot me an apologetic look. "Iz, I hate to ask this but could you go around and replace the seedy guy's glasses? I just got hit with ninety different drinks that would be too hard to relay. Before you could do that you could make a few Cosmos if you want, I think your bottle-blonde pals are back."

I quickly whipped up three Cosmos and got the table number from Ike: I wanted to hand-deliver them. As it turns out, I probably didn't actually need the table number, because the girls were once again decked out in all neon colours as if they were paying homage to the eighties. And, they squealed when they saw me coming. Very, very, loudly.

"Oh my God! Your name is Izzy, right? You were our waitress the other night! You were, like, so nice!"

My brain supplied me with their names, and I recalled the girl speaking was named Ashley. Apparently only Carly and Rachel were joining her for drinks though, it must've been a more casual affair.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Um, actually, it's Isa, but I'm glad I made a good impression."

Carly spoke, bouncing emphatically, "You like, totally helped us snap her out of her funk! Thanks a million!"

I smiled and set their Cosmos down. "Of course girls, men can be total pigs sometimes."

Rachel agreed, and we all chatted a little bit before I remembered the seedy men in need of Coors. Fuck. I said my goodbyes and hustled back to the bar. I wasn't even at the counter when I heard their whistles.

"Hey baby, smile a little more!"

"When're our drinks coming hot stuff!"

The guy with the dyed hair said nothing, but I felt his eyes on my back. I poured their drinks and made a note to shower later to scrub the feeling off. I went back around the bar and grabbed their empty glasses, and I felt a hand pinch my ass. I yelped and looked at Ike.

"Hands off boys, I mean it." I felt a familiar wave of fury and I could somehow feel Jasper getting closer.

It was clearly affecting the men around me because the man with the flatbill and no jawline looked pissed. "We are paying you for both goods," another pinch to my ass, "and services, babydoll."

The fury level rose further, and I snapped. "I said hands-off!" Ike was coming over and fast. The fury was suffocating.

I forced a breath into my lungs. "It would be a damn shame if the police were to show up due to a dispute and find two very strung out individuals involved."

A hand squeezed my hip painfully at the same time Mr. Dye Job joined the party and snaked a hand around my arm. These motherfuckers were sure to leave bruises. "Listen here, little bitch-"

The fury level rose even further, and I just snapped. I formed my fist just like Charlie had taught me so long ago. "_Thumb on the outside, and make sure you put your weight behind it." _

And that's just what I did. I hit Mr. Flatbill right in the fucking jaw. I heard a crunch too. I was pretty damn proud of myself for just about five seconds until Dye Job spun me around and gave me a taste of my own medicine, hitting me square in the eye. I was seeing stars, and he spun me once again, pointing me towards a very, very, angry Jasper and Ike. Both men looked like they were ready to kill these bastards, but Jasper looked like a god damn angel of death. I prayed he wouldn't reveal himself, and dizzily sat there pressed against the asshole. I felt something cold against my lower back, and I snapped back into the world of critical thinkers.

Both Jasper and Ike looked ready to lunge, and I shook my head, "Gun! Jasper, he has a gun! Don't do shit!"

Peter and Char rapidly appeared behind Jasper, and they must've told Jasper to tone it the fuck down because 90% of the fury left the atmosphere. Not all of it, but enough.

Dye Job relaxed his grip on me just a bit, and I felt like I could breathe again. "Listen here," God, I should've known he'd be an eerily calm speaker. "If you gentlemen want your bitch back," he prodded me, "then I suggest you back away and let me and my friends walk out back. Then, once we are free and clear, we will release the little thing, 'kay?"

Jasper looked like he was doing all he could to not growl and leap to kill the guy, but he cleared his expression and smoothly nodded. "Sure, but we're gonna follow you, that way we can't pull anything, and neither can you."

Dye Job raised an eyebrow but nodded, and I clamped my eyes shut as we began to slowly move backwards. Figures it wouldn't be a vamp to kill me after all, but one thought brought me some solace.

Vicky was sure to be _pissed._


	10. A Sticky Situation

**Hey, y'all! I'm back with another chapter of shenanigans from our favourite ragtag gang of misfits. **

**Now I won't talk for too long because I know this chapter was highly anticipated due to how I ended the last one, but as always I really look forward to and enjoy reading all your kind words. They make quarantine a little sweeter :). Stay safe and social isolate folks!**

**Now the show must go on!**

**…**

Chapter 10

**_A Sticky Situation_**

_Jasper:_

I couldn't seem to get my shit together. I had instincts, I had been through worse, but they had all but fled my mind, and so it was left unhelpfully blank.

All that existed was anger. Every fibre of my being had to resist the urge to just say "fuck it" and leap across the room to get to Bella, to disregard the danger of exposure in order to ensure her safety and annihilate the bastard that put her through this.

The man kept compulsively jerking his head to his left every five to eight seconds to move his blue-tinged fried hair out of his face, and it was grating on my already dangerously frayed nerves, because every single time he moved, the arm around Bella's waist tightened even more. His arm wrapped all the way around Bella's tiny frame, and I'd doubt the motherfucker even realised that if he fired his gun, it would go right through Bella's stomach and then all the way through his arm. Ripping countless tendons, muscles, and probably shattering his radius or his ulna. Maybe both. He deserved a lot more irreparable damage than that, and I couldn't stop myself from picturing snapping each and every bone in his body and just leaving him like that. He deserved no mercy.

"Jasper, please rein in the anger, it's not doing anyone any favours," Peter growled into my ear.

Fuck. I snapped out of my thoughts and realised he was right, the bastard had stopped moving and was holding Bella even tighter, and Peter, Char, and Ike were all vibrating under the force of their fury. I sucked as much anger out of the atmosphere as I could, but that was harder than usual considering the fact I was currently hanging onto the cliff of my sanity by my pinky finger.

The room let out a collective breath, but Bella had her eyes clamped shut, and just like the night Peter talked to her in the little nook in the alley, I felt a wave of acceptance go through her.

I flinched. "Darlin' I swear to God if you don't cut that shit out-" Her eyes snapped open and immediately locked with mine.

Her eyes flashed, and she shrugged, giving me a sad, half-smile. "Sorry cowboy."

I took a breath to steady myself. My mouth was bone dry, and I kept clenching and unclenching my jaw to keep from snarling like a rabid dog. I focused on the hand around her waist and my brain quickly flitted through all the ways this could go wrong, how in less than thirty seconds the beautiful, sarcastic girl I had come to know could lay dead on the floor in a pool of blood. My hands started to shake.

"Jasper you really have to cut that shit out!" Charlotte snapped.

I refocused myself in order to stop projecting, and I noticed whereas the man holding Bella had been calmly looking back and forth between the four of us, just analysing I assume, at that, his gaze turned sharp, and my stomach sank as he slowly brought the gun up to Bella's temple.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I think it's time to for you to cut the chit chat."

He brushed a mahogany lock of hair out of Bella's face with the barrel of the gun and made sure to maintain steady eye contact with me in the process. "That is unless you'd like your sweetheart's brains all over the hallway, I really don't care, either way, I'm getting out of here."

The room very quickly became overwhelmed by a haze of fear, but my brain was too muddled to distinguish what amount came from whom. I raised my hands in surrender and attempted to make eye contact with Bella, but she didn't notice, as she was keeping her gave firmly locked on the ceiling. I suddenly noticed the man was standing on his own, all alone in the hallway, and realised his partners had long since fled the scene. He was on his own.

The man stared at me, watching me watching Bella. "Alright then. Now, before we go out back, I'm going to need the bartender and the blonde to get the fuck out."

Ike had just been silently shooting daggers at the bastard, with a glint in his eyes that told me he was going to pull something stupid, and I snapped my head to the right to catch his eye before he pulled said stunt. He just firmly held his ground, standing still and while continuing to glare at the man holding Bella.

Char, well Char wasn't taking it very well either. She sat there, teeth bared, shaking with barely restrained rage. She also made no move for the exit.

The man shook his fringe out of his face and rolled his eyes. "Do you stupid motherfuckers not understand who has the gun here?"

He cocked it. Oh God, he fucking cocked it. My anger was sucked out of me and replaced with something I had not felt in a very, very long time: fear. I felt pure, unadulterated fear.

Charlotte raised her hands, turned on her heel, and marched over to Ike. She pulled on him, and he didn't move even an inch. She grunted and then proceeded to yank the grown man so hard he almost fell to the floor, and then unapologetically dragged his ass out the door.

The man let out a chuckle. "Now that's better. You ready for our walk backwards fellas? The cops are definitely on their way so I'd like to get a move on."

Peter and I shot each other a firm look and nodded. His forehead was puckered, and his mouth was set in a firm line, and I knew he was ready for business.

We started the walk backwards. He stepped, we stepped. And soon, we had inched all the way towards the same back door we followed Bella through on that first night.

He bent down and whispered something in Bella's ear, once again caressing the side of her face with the barrel of his handgun. As he talked he adjusted his grip, removing his arm from Bella's midsection and bringing it around her neck. She nodded, and slowly pressed the grey bar to open the door to the alley, all the while, staring at me. Her big brown eyes were filled with fear, and I couldn't understand how she flitted from unfiltered acceptance to mind-numbing fear so quickly, but I didn't have much time to ponder it before they both slipped into the night, leaving both Peter and I scrambling for the door.

Once we were in the alleyway he halted and turned the gun on us. "Okay gentleman, I hate to end the show, but I'm afraid I won't be able to catch a ride with my buddies without a little collateral, so I'm sadly going to have to take Brown Eyes here with me."

This time Peter and I did release a growl, a loud one at that, and I took pleasure in the sharp shot of fear I felt from the man holding Bella.

Bella just sat there, eyes wide, until they quickly flashed, and I saw a glint of her usual fire mix with the fear.

That's when I knew she was going to do something stupid.

She locked eyes with me, and then she fucking winked. Then she shifted to the side and her foot shot up like lightning before it swiftly came down squarely in the middle of his toes.

"Fuck! You bi-" Is all he had time to say before she pivoted her body and threw her full weight into driving her elbow into the center of his stomach.

He doubled over, gasping for breath, and Bella took the opportunity to snap back to a standing position and repeat the same move to the center of his back, driving him right into the pavement below our feet. He lay on the ground in something reminiscent of the fetal position, but he quickly aimed the gun from where it was buried under his midsection and fired.

I yelled, but Bella reacted fast and kicked the gun from his hand. She yelped as it slid across the asphalt, and Peter hesitated for just a half a second before running after it.

I smelled blood and I prayed with everything in me Bella was alright as I threw myself towards her. She just stood there, continuously kicking the guy, hard, and repeatedly, but I didn't want to touch her in case I aggravated an unseen injury.

She didn't show any signs of stopping or slowing down though, so I moved to wrap my arms around her shoulders and pull her off of him. She thrashed against my grip, and I knew she was about to do more damage to herself in my granite arms.

"Hey! Darlin' stop, stop, it's okay, he's down!"

I moved us down to a seated position on the pavement, and her thrashing slowed, and I bent my head down to her ear. "He's down darlin', shhh, I gotcha, I gotcha," I repeated on a loop, as Peter looked after the unconscious bastard, making sure he didn't wake up and go for a getaway.

Once she had ridden out her adrenaline rush, she laid back against my chest just gathering her bearings as I pat her down searching for any injuries. She had little blood spatters all over her, and I couldn't tell what was hers, but I knew she was injured somewhere.

"I cannot believe the motherfucker shot me." She muttered.

Peter's head snapped to us. "Jasper, her arm," He exclaimed, pointing to the left.

I pulled up her arm and released a breath I hadn't known I was holding. She was injured, yes, but the bullet had just grazed her arm, leaving her with a deep cut on her bicep. Thank God. Peter tossed me his sweatshirt and I rapidly began applying pressure to the wound, causing Bella to jerk off my body with a yelp.

"Jesus, give a girl some warning next time, that hurt like hell," Bella muttered.

"How you doin' darlin'?" I asked, pulling her gently back so she could lean against me.

She laughed, as she once again laid against my chest. "Better now that I don't have a gun pointed at me."

We all sat in silence for a few seconds, before Bella spoke again. "Thanks for helping me out guys."

"Of course, like we said, we got your back Little Bird." Peter cleared his throat and looked away. "Not to ruin the happy moment, but I cannot believe you pulled that monumentally stupid stunt."

He snapped his gaze back to her. "You could've easily gotten yourself killed! One wrong twist of your body and you would've been dead. We wouldn't be able to change you in this settin', and seein' as not even the cops have made it here yet, you would've bled out and died right here in this fuckin' alley, and Jasper and I would've just been forced watch."

"Darlin' we could've handled it," I whispered.

"No, you couldn't of. His buddies were probably en route to this alley, which is riddled with security cameras, and you would've just had to sit there and watch as he took me away. Sure you have big bad vamp powers, but those are completely useless in this setting. I made an executive decision, and it worked out, so I'd appreciate some 'Holy shit sugar! You kicked his fucking ass!', now please."

Peter and I sighed. "You did pull off those moves pretty well," I reluctantly admitted. However, I quickly followed it up with some qualifiers about how stupid and dangerous they were.

Peter sighed and said similar, but as Bella began to respond, she was interrupted by the shriek of sirens.

"Ruh-roh Raggy," Peter blurted out.

"Uh guys," Bella tentatively said, "You know how I'm like in hiding with a whole new identity? How am I supposed to talk to the cops?"

Oh shit. I didn't even think of that little complication. As soon as they ran the name Isa Sawyer Bella's identity would be revealed, and she'd be taken into custody and jailed until Victoria eventually found a way to hunt her down.

"Shit," Peter deadpanned, echoing everyone's thoughts. "Do we run?"

I pondered our options, and as I heard the police blast through the front entrance Larry's, I made my decision. "Yes, but we gotta do it fast, the police are on their way out here."

I helped Bella up and we made a move to get out of the alley until Bella suddenly halted.

"Peter, can you make him hurt first?" She asked, glaring down at the body of her attacker.

"I was just waitin' for you to ask Little Bird, but you and Jasper need to get a move on, this asshole is goin' to scream and the cops are going to race on out here. You guys get a head start, I'll catch up." Peter hurriedly said.

"Quick, you've gotta hop on my back darlin', you can't get around fast enough on your own."

Bella quickly complied, clambering up onto my back, and as I sped on out of the alley, an idea popped into my mind.

"Peter, make sure to grab your sweatshirt on the way out, we don't want any DNA evidence left behind," I said, knowing he could hear me perfectly despite our distance away from him.

Bella lightly tapped my shoulder. "If you go take a right on Johnson we will get to a road where we can hail a cab."

I nodded and quickly made my way towards the aforementioned street, but as soon as Bella and I exited the mouth of the alley, we heard a bloodcurdling scream. Bella tightened her grip on my neck, and I promptly switched from walking to running.

I heard footsteps behind us and looked back to see that Peter had caught up to us, sweatshirt in hand. I shot him a firm look and he nodded, answering my unspoken question: The bastard was feeling the consequences of his actions. Don't get me wrong, I was glad, but I'll admit I was a little bitter that I couldn't be the one to deliver his pain myself. Or to kill him, but Bella's wellbeing came first.

We reached our destination and I helped Bella to a standing position, but I made sure it was one where she could still lean on me if she needed to because she was feeling more than a little unsteady on her feet. Peter hailed a cab, and as soon as we clambered inside, I began formulating our next steps.

"Peter, call Charlotte and tell her to tell Farah and Ike that Bella is fine but that she needs to avoid the cops. They are goin' to go through Bella's wallet and see her room key, so she also needs to get back to the hotel room and grab anythin' that we might need."

I looked at Bella, who was clearly exhausted, silently resting her head on my shoulder, and I ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm really sorry darlin', but it looks like it's time to get the hell out of dodge."


	11. What Now?

**Hello lovely people! I'm back with another update on Jasper and Bella's adventure!**

**I'm glad to hear y'all are enjoying the action and suspense! I was worried I wasn't going to do it justice, and I'm glad y'all seem to really enjoy it. I love all the words of encouragement, and as always, stay safe everyone. I apologize for making it more of a "cliffhanger" than I realized… it's been almost a month since I updated and I am so sorry for letting it get that bad. If it makes you guys feel better I rewrote this chapter four times, so it wasn't for lack of trying. Also, can you guys believe that Midnight Sun is actually coming out?**

**Anyway, let's hit it!**

…

Chapter Eleven

**_What Now?_**

_Bella:_

I was so goddamn tired. All I wanted was to go to sleep, but thanks to my monumentally stupid actions from earlier, I knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I was actually a bit worried I'd pass out, I could already feel the bruises that riddled my body, and Dye Job had gotten a pretty good shot at my ribs before he went down, causing each and every breath to sting like a bitch.

But I powered through it. I was waiting outside a Motel 6, which in California past 2 A.M. was not a pleasant place to be. The boys were both busy guiding Charlotte throughout the hotel room over the phone a short walk away from where I was sitting. I was well within their eyesight, and while I had practically shoved Jasper over there to plan, claiming I was fine on my own for a few minutes, I could feel the fear eating away at me. The weeks of hanging out with the vamps had lulled me into feeling safe, and now I was suddenly back to square one, on edge, thinking everyone was out to get me.

I sat on a bench outside and made sure to maintain vigilance, constantly scanning my surroundings. The parking lot was practically deserted at this time of night, but at this point, I was ready to jump at my own shadow. While I may have kicked some serious ass earlier, at this point I was too weak to do much of anything. What if those motherfuckers found their way back to me? What if someone just got to me while the boys were distracted? What if- A wave of calm went through my body, and I glanced over at Jasper who was fixing me with a look that if I didn't know better, would describe as nervous looking.

I made an effort to get my emotions under control, but the call didn't last long after that. Jasper kept casting me worried glances and then before I knew it, the boys were on their way over. Jasper slid onto the bench with me and I was grateful for the opportunity to lean on something for support, cozying up to him immediately. I ordinarily wouldn't be so… mushy, but I feel like the fact that I could've easily died earlier gave me more than enough of an excuse.

Peter's eyes gave me a quick once over. "Hey sugar plum, how're you feelin'?"

"I'm fine." I deadpanned.

Peter rolled his eyes and Jasper snorted. "She's lying. I'm surprised you're still standin' right now darlin'."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "It seems to have escaped your notice, but I am in fact, seated. And seated leaning against you for that matter. I'm tired, scared, and my body feels like I went a couple of rounds with a brick wall, but I'm fine, and I'll be even better once you guys tell me what's going on."

Peter whistled. "Welp, Char's on her way over with a car to take us the hell outta dodge."

I raised my eyebrow. "C'mon Petey give me a bit more than that."

Jasper shifted next to me. "Uh, that's kind of all we got."

I sighed and immediately winced as pain flared up my side. A look of concern flashed on Peter's face and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but the sound of a car rolling into the lot drew all our attention. It was a white janky looking Camry, and I felt Jasper tense beside me as we waited with bated breath to see who exactly would end up stepping out of it.

However, the driver's side window rolled down to reveal a very excited looking Charlotte. "C'mon! Y'all ready to go or not?!"

I turned to Jasper with a smile, and he laughed and shook his head as he helped me to my feet.

Peter looked between the two of us with a wild grin. "I call shotgun!"

As Jasper and I made our way to the car, ignoring the jeering shouts of "Slowpoke!" from our companions, something unlocked in my chest. Tonight was hell, but for once in my life, I had people I could rely on. People that knew everything. Okay so maybe that was a stretch, but they knew all the important bits, and the fact that I was having to make a getaway from yet another life was softened by the fact that I had people to do it with me.

Jasper held open the door of the car and bowed. "Your chariot awaits."

I stifled another painful laugh as I clambered into the car, Jasper following right behind me. Once I finished adjusting the seatbelt, I gave the car a once over.

"Who's fucking car is this?" I exclaimed.

Between the pink seat covers and the matching dice dangling from the rearview, there was no way this was their car. Call me Nancy Drew, but they also didn't seem the type to own janky white sedan. I know I probably should've clued in sooner, but I was tired, beaten down, and probably concussed, so I gave myself a bit of a break.

Charlotte let out an incredulous laugh as she put the car in reverse. "Sugar, do I look like I can answer that question?"

"I can!" Peter proudly replied, waving the car's registration in the air like a prize, "This lovely piece of machinery belongs to one Hailey Murphy."

Charlotte shook her head, laughing as she turned out of the lot.

"Don't worry darlin', we'll find a way to send her some cash for the trouble later. Right now all we gotta focus on is gettin' you somewhere safe to rest up." Jasper said, brushing a lock of hair out of my face.

His face drew up into a frown as he brushed his cool thumb over my injured eye but as his gaze shifted up to mine, his eyes sparkled. Butterflies hammered against my ribcage, and for the first time tonight, I realized his eyes were a startling blue, not unlike a summer sky. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it sooner, I really was off my game tonight.

"Have your eyes been blue this whole time?" I asked.

Jasper let out a loud laugh and I felt my cheeks grow warm. "Yeah darlin', they have. I guess with all the commotion you didn't notice."

Peter turned around and gave me an exaggerated wink, revealing that he wore the same blue contacts as Jasper. "Do you like 'em sugar? Jasper and I match." He said with a grin.

I shot them both a wide grin. "Of course I like them, you boys look very handsome."

Jasper shook his head, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile behind his curls, while Peter just sat there beaming at the compliment.

Charlotte whipped her head around and locked her eyes with mine."How 'bout mine?"

I laughed and ignored the following pain in my ribs. "You look stunning Char. Really, the soft green really compliments your hair."

She shot me a dazzling grin and turned back towards the road. "Thank you sugar plum, this color is one of my favorites, it reminds me of the summertime."

"And as always, you are lookin' spectacular in them if I do say so myself," Peter said.

"Aw, thanks baby," Charlotte crooned back.

The vamps seemed more than a little in touch with their human sides tonight, and that added to the fact we were driving in a stolen car away from my old life caused me to lose touch with reality a bit. It was like nothing existed outside of this car, that we were in a moment separate from the passage of time, and that weird sense of disorientation is what led me to decide it was in fact, time for bed.

I told the vamps as much, and they said their goodnights and offered me their extra sweatshirts. Between Jasper's and Peter's, I was able to make a pretty decent makeshift pillow and blanket set, but as I was ready to curl up and pass the fuck out, I realized I had a small problem: I was sharing the backseat.

Jasper seemed to understand the cause of my confusion and looked at me. "Here, just put the pillow on my lap, that way you can lay all the way across the backseat."

I raised my eyebrows and turned to look at Peter and Charlotte, who were dutifully engrossed in their own conversation.

When I looked back at Jasper he was avoiding eye contact, staring at the car ceiling. "Obviously you don't have to, I just thought it would be easier to have your head there than your feet because of how my legs are positioned higher than the rest of the backseat."

I grinned. "Alright cowboy, whatever you say."

I got set up, and while I expected Jasper's legs to be well, stone-y, with the addition of the sweatshirt pillow it was pretty comfortable. It was only minorly awkward, and I didn't even have to worry about keeping my mind out of the gutter in order to get to sleep because almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, Jasper had already knocked me out.

…

I felt a hand go through my hair, but I didn't mind it in the slightest. I drowsily opened my eyes and was only minorly surprised to find that the view in front of me was just a pair of jean-clad knees and a grey fabric car seat.

"Mornin' darlin', how'd you sleep?" A voice drawled above me.

I grabbed the seat and with the help of a once again red-eyed Jasper, I was able to prop myself up into a seated position.

"The sleep was great, thanks to you Mr. Sandman, but god, I feel like I got hit by a train." I rasped.

My head throbbed, and I could tell without even looking my body was riddled with bruises. My ribs still ached with every breath, and the pain from muscle soreness had joined the party, leaving me a little worse for wear.

"Well sugar, I can't say you look much better either. You sure took a beatin'." Char said worriedly from the front seat.

I turned my head and peered out the window. Evergreens lined the road, obscuring my view of any other remarkable terrain, but it didn't matter because I already knew where we were.

I whipped my head around and glared at Jasper, ignoring the flare of pain in my neck. "Does somebody want to tell me why the hell I'm back in Washington?"

He raised his hands in surrender, and I turned my gaze to Peter who shook his head. "Not Washington darlin', Oregon. We need to get somewhere that leans towards the rainy side for the summertime, and Emmett and Rosalie have a place a bit outside of Eugene."

"Oh do they!" I sarcastically exclaimed, turning my angry gaze back to Jasper. "Will they be making an appearance? If so, drop me at the nearest motel with some cash, because I'm going to have to pass on that."

Jasper grit his teeth. "You're stuck with us, so stop with the 'drop me off' nonsense. As for Emmett and Rosalie, you know we wouldn't blindside you like that." His harsh gaze softened. "They are out travelin' right now, and they will be for a while longer."

I raised an eyebrow. "So they lent you this place no strings attached?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Now I didn't say that. Rosalie's been houndin' me for a visit, so they intend to meet us there eventually."

I tried to say something but Jasper held up a hand to stop my interjection. "Now there darlin' there's an easy fix to that, Peter and Char can take you somewhere to camp out for a bit while we visit, and I can meet up with y'all later."

I took a deep breath, and winced from the ensuing pain in my chest. "Won't they smell me there?"

A throat cleared from the front seat. "I hope you don't mind if I interject on y'all's lovers quarrel," I felt my face grow warm, and I rolled my eyes as Peter shot me a smirk, "but sweet pea, rest assured me and Char will thoroughly 'christen' the house to get rid of any of your scent."

"No more details please," I said. Living with them has taught me that it is best not to give Peter a chance to elaborate on his innuendos, and I certainly was not going to change my ways now.

I thought about it for a moment and everything seemed taken care of so I let the subject drop. "I don't suppose you guys happen to have any ibuprofen?"

"Peter found a pill bottle in Ms. Murphy's glove compartment," Charlotte helpfully supplied.

Peter tossed the pill bottle into the back seat and Jasper caught it with ease and looked at it only briefly before handing it off to me.

From the second I laid eyes on the bottle I knew it was worthless. I passed the labelless orange cylinder back and forth between my hands as I briefly considered just throwing caution to the wind in hopes of easing some of the pain that riddled my body.

I finally dismissed that idea and tossed the pills back to Jasper. "I have no idea what those are, but I can tell you they aren't anything over the counter."

Unfortunately, the throbbing in my head was reaching a new level painful, and I shut my eyes and began rubbing circles on my temples.

"Sugar, we still have a few hours, so why don't you have Jasper knock you out until we get into town and get you some stuff to take care of the pain?" Charlotte gently advised, shooting me a comforting look in the rearview.

I turned to Jasper and brushed some curls out of his eyes. "Do you mind if I borrow your lap again Cowboy?"

He laughed and helped me get comfortable, even going so far to sweetly lay Peter's sweatshirt over me like the blanket I had used it for last night.

"Sleep well darlin', we'll get there soon." He whispered, and with that, I was out.


End file.
